A new tech platform aims to make agri-food data accessible to UK farmers, organisations and the food supply chain.
The Data Services Platform (DSP3) will make Defra’s agri-food data accessible to UK farmers, organisations and the food supply chain, helping them to make sustainable decisions, and potentially saving significant time and money as well. Agrimetrics are working in partnership with Telespazio UK to deliver this key environmental data platform for Defra.
DSP3, which will build upon the existing DPS2 platform, will exploit the existing Agrimetrics Data Marketplace to make thousands of datasets accessible for public use, and help Defra deliver the ambition of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.
Speaking at an Oxford Farming Conference on The Future of Farming, Agrimetrics director and CCO, Rebecca Geraghty told delegates how many of the challenges faced by the Agri-food sector, including soil erosion, yield plateau and supply chain efficiency, could be solved with the help of data-driven technologies. Rebecca said: “Too much data still remains locked away, underused and static – it’s a critical yet untapped asset, often hugely valuable in the learnings it can bring.”
Agrimetrics helps organisations across the globe realise the potential in data, with an Agri-food Data Exchange that links, organises and shares thousands of value rich datasets. Now Agrimetrics will host Defra Group’s Environmental Data, with more than 4,500 datasets across 30 applications and APIs. This will include nationally critical datasets on flood risk, drinking and bathing water quality, fish populations plus many more. The platform will enable greater interoperability with other platforms and services to expand the usage of data and evolution of technical services. Agrimetrics is currently working with Defra’s partners to ensure the platform is tailored to their needs ahead of the switchover.
Agrimetrics’s agri-food data catalogue and data marketplace includes data on soils, water, weather and field boundaries, as well as crop analytics and pesticide and fertiliser data. Agrimetrics have worked on projects in 24 different global countries, with a list of working relationships that range from Defra, Airbus and BASF, to the Universities of Reading and Oxford. The company also works in partnership with cross border organisations that include Deloitte Digital, Telespazio, and Microsoft. Agrimetrics enables farmers, organisations and supply chains to deliver the best combined insights and intelligence to make sustainable farming decisions.
“Agrimetrics are committed to linking environmental data with business decisions to reduce and reverse our global impact on the environment,” said Agrimetrics CEO, David Flanders. “We’re excited that our proprietary platform has been chosen to unlock the potential of Defra’s rich data for public use. We firmly believe we can create the place to go for environmental data in the UK.”
Mark Hewer, CEO of Telespazio UK, said: “It’s very exciting to be working with Defra and Agrimetrics at the forefront of delivering and modernising such a critical UK data platform. We look forward to delivering a first-class product with a comprehensive user service, which hosts more data and engages even more users, so that the DSP is recognised as a world-leading infrastructure that underpins environmental improvements and social value gains.”