"Data Governance in Digital Agriculture: Comparing Regulatory, Market-Based, and Commons Approache"

Abstract

Speakers: Monja Sauvagerd (Prof. Dr. Anne Visser, Dr. Can Atik) "Data governance lies at the heart of digital transformation, shaping who can access, control, and benefit from data-driven innovation. In digital agriculture, these dynamics are especially critical, as platformization and oligopolistic market structures increasingly shift control from public institutions to private actors. This paper examines how different governance models, ranging from regulatory to voluntary and cooperative, structure interoperability in upstream digital agriculture, where machinery firms, input providers, and agritech platforms play key roles. Interoperability refers here to the ability of systems, platforms, and devices to exchange and reuse data across organizational boundaries. We ask how these governance arrangements affect innovation, competition, and equitable data access. Building on theories of data governance, platform regulation, and the economic classification of digital goods, we develop a typology of six governance models: regulatory mandates, government-supported platforms, voluntary industry initiatives, business-driven solutions, cooperative farmer-led efforts, and commons-based or open-source approaches. Drawing on comparative case studies and 20 expert interviews conducted across Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, we examine how institutional choices shape data accessibility, value extraction, and innovation outcomes. This paper contributes to platform governance debates by showing how institutional design – not just technical standards – determines access, power, and public value. As agriculture becomes increasingly data- driven, shaping inclusive and sustainable interoperability is critical to ensuring that digital infrastructures serve broad societal goals."