The food industry has plenty of farm data but not enough to show for it. At a Map of Ag conference in London on 1 October, delegates heard that the challenge now is turning that data into insight, action and tangible value for farmers.

A question of use, not supply

The Shared Insights, Stronger Collaboration: The Route to a More Resilient Food System event brought together representatives from across the food and farming supply chain.

The aim was to explore how better use of data, stronger collaboration and longer-term relationships can build resilience against growing environmental, economic and supply chain pressures.

Stuart Thomson, senior consultant at Map of Ag, said the opportunity lies in making better use of what is already being generated. “We don’t have a shortage of data, but the real opportunity is in making that data work harder by turning it into insight that helps farmers and the wider supply chain make better decisions,” he said. In his view, that requires “greater collaboration, greater consistency and, crucially, a clear focus on creating value for farmers”.

Returning value to the farm

A recurring theme was that data must flow back to the farm in a useful form. Peter Kennedy, head of agriculture and fisheries at M&S, put it plainly: “Data is only valuable with context. Return the value of the data to the farm with meaningful insights.”

Sarah Haynes, head of sustainability at IGD, called for farmers to play a central role in shaping change, alongside a joined-up approach across the system. “We need this kind of farmer centric approach, but we also need a system approach to really unlock the progress that’s needed,” she said, asking how existing initiatives can be translated “into genuine joined up action that will drive system progress going forward”. She also stressed that farmers should be involved in developing solutions, and that those solutions must offer a clear commercial benefit.

Cutting duplication, recognising cost

Speakers pointed to greater consistency in how farm data is collected and managed as a way to reduce duplication, with technology helping to streamline and automate the process.

The discussion also acknowledged the time and cost involved in collecting farm data. Alongside financial incentives and technical support, longer-term supply relationships were identified as a way to give farmers the confidence to invest in change.

Small steps, long commitments

Phil Hambling, director of agriculture and sustainable food sourcing at ABP UK, said data should be used to identify realistic opportunities and support practical change on farm. “It’s about making sure that we’re engaging in the right way, meeting farmers where they are and thinking about small steps that actually can add up to a big change,” he said.

For farmers, collaboration needs to deliver practical outcomes rather than simply additional demands. Keith Thompson, a fifth-generation farmer from Northamptonshire, said meaningful change would require long-term commitment from every part of the supply chain.

“Sustainability is not one action. Resilience is not created overnight,” he said, adding that collaboration “is about committing for the long term, collecting good data, learning what works and giving farmers the confidence to make changes”.

What’s next

These themes will be explored further in a forthcoming Map of Ag white paper. It will look at practical approaches to improving farmer engagement, standardising farm data and creating a fairer distribution of the costs and value of sustainability programmes across the supply chain.

Insight 

The message from the event is that data collection is no longer the sticking point; what happens afterwards is. For food businesses running supplier sustainability or resilience programmes, the test will be whether farmers see something back, whether that is insight, financial support or the security of a longer-term relationship. Better data, the discussions concluded, can underpin a more resilient food system, but only if it is turned into practical insight through collaboration, trust and a clear focus on delivering value for farmers.

For anyone interested in viewing a copy of the white paper, take a look at the Map of Ag website – https://mapof.ag/press/food-industry-urged-to-turn-farm-data-into-action/