Reviewing and revising CGIAR’s Open Access and Data Management Policy and Implementation Guidelines
Timely and accurate decisions are critical to the success of food systems around the world. Accessible and well-managed data promotes more efficient research and greater visibility and transparency for organizations that conduct it. With this in mind, CGIAR promised to publish their research data openly and free from restriction through the development of the CGIAR Open Access and Data Management (OADM) Policy in 2013. In this project, CABI led a review of the policy (and accompanying implementation guidelines) to determine how it was implemented across the CGIAR System and whether updates were required to remain relevant to today’s research landscape.
Enabling data access to support innovation in decision agriculture: soil health, agronomy and fertilizer
Healthy soil is critical to the growth of nutritious food and to farmers’ livelihoods. However, declining soil health is causing low productivity which leads to unstable food security and incomes. National systems can help farmers by sharing data and information on soil health which can then be used to make more informed decisions about agricultural practices, helping farmers produce healthier crops. This project aims to facilitate better data-driven decisions within the investments of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Decision Agriculture and the national systems in which the investments operate.
Rwanda Soil Information Services (RwaSIS)
70% of Rwanda’s population rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, productivity has been severely compromised by a lack of crop and soil-specific fertilizers and soil erosion. Real-time, reliable, soil and agronomy data can inform farmers, helping them to make the best decisions for their land, but this data is currently not shared between stakeholders. The Government’s Rwanda Soil Information Service will provide a centralised resource for in-country actors to better understand the state of soils in Rwanda at a local level. CABI’s integral role will be to lay the foundations of a modern soil information system that will rationalize the costs of obtaining high-quality soils data. Working on the basis of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles will ensure that legacy and new investments in soil research maximise their potential and result in better decision-making for Rwandan farmers and their soils.