AHDB defends Farm Data Exchange against GFC comparisons

AHDB has sought to reassure farmers that its proposed Farm Data Exchange (FDE) will remain voluntary and under farmer control after concerns were raised that it could eventually be used by supply chains to require environmental data from producers.

The levy body is developing the FDE as a digital permissions platform designed to reduce the growing burden of repeated data requests.

Rather than storing farm data itself, the system would allow farmers to authorise organisations to access information they have already shared elsewhere.

See also: Red Tractor axes plans for Greener Farms Commitment

An AHDB survey of about 450 farmers found 51% would be likely to use the FDE if it were available today.

However, the concept has been compared to the Greener Farms Commitment (Red Tractor’s proposed environmental module that was scrapped in 2024 following widespread farmer opposition), in a recent Direct Driller article and subsequent discussion on The Farming Forum.

Farmer fears

While AHDB stressed the FDE is not an assurance scheme and will not set environmental standards, some farmers fear it could eventually provide the infrastructure for retailers, processors and other buyers to request environmental data as a condition of supply.

Pembrokeshire arable farmer William Scale told Farmers Weekly he was concerned about the potential long-term consequences if businesses needing to report Scope 3 emissions begin to demand farm-level environmental information.

“Data exchange isn’t a bad thing, but farmer control and permission is absolutely vital,” he said.

“We’ve seen patterns in the past where something starts as a selling point, then becomes the norm and eventually becomes a requirement.”

He questioned whether creating a single permissions platform would ultimately benefit companies with Scope 3 reporting obligations more than the farmers generating the data.

“If a supply chain needs data to manage its Scope 3 emissions, then it has a value, and the value of that should flow back to the farmer,” he said.

‘Farmer-first infrastructure’

AHDB rejected suggestions that the FDE could become a back door to mandatory environmental reporting, describing it as “farmer-first infrastructure” intended to simplify data sharing rather than create new compliance requirements.

A spokesperson said that, if FDE is developed, safeguards would need to include clear visibility of who is requesting data and why, farmer approval before any data is shared, and appropriate governance and rules for organisations using the system.

The organisation also stressed it has “no ambition” for the FDE to become a mandatory route to market access, arguing the system is intended to help farmers manage growing data requests while retaining control over what they share.