About GODAN

The Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) is an initiative that seeks to support global efforts to make agricultural and nutritionally relevant data available, accessible, and usable for unrestricted use worldwide. The initiative focuses on building high-level policy and public and private institutional support for open data. The initiative encourages collaboration and cooperation among existing agriculture and open data activities, without duplication, and brings together all stakeholders to solve long-standing global problems. GODAN is a rapidly growing group, currently with 400 partners from national governments, non-governmental, international and private sector organizations .

Lack of institutional, national, and international policies and openness of data limit the effectiveness of agricultural and nutritional data from research and innovation. Making open data work for agriculture and nutrition requires a shared agenda to increase the supply, quality, and interoperability of data, alongside action to build capacity for the use of data by all stakeholders. Open access to research and open publication of data are vital resources for food security and nutrition, driven by farmers, farmer organizations, researchers, extension experts, policy makers, governments, and other private sector and civil society stakeholders participating in “innovation systems” and along value chains.

The GODAN initiative is a voluntary association brought together around a shared purpose. Launched in October 2013, the initiative partners seek to support this initiative through the following guidelines and principles.

In line with global movements for open data and open access, the initiative seeks to:

 

Advocate for open data and open access policies by default, in both public and private sectors, whilst respecting and working to balance openness with legitimate concerns in relation to privacy, security, community rights and commercial interests;

 

Advocate for the release and re-usability of data in support of Innovation and Economic Growth, Improved Service Delivery and Effective Governance, and Improved Environmental and Social Outcomes;