HarvestStat: a global effort towards open and standardized sub-national agricultural data

2025-05-01

Kyle Frankel Davis *

Weston Anderson

Steffen Ehrmann

Rafaela Flach

Carsten Meyer

Jonathan Proctor

D. K. Ray

Liangzhi You

Michael M. Foley

Hervé Kerdiles

Andrew Hultgren

Peter Huybers

Kebede, Endalkachew

Meroni, Michele

Caro S Park

Donghoon Lee

DOI：10.1088/1748-9326/adcb54

Original

Original request for help

Save

Abstract

En 中文

Agricultural production statistics underpin diverse research efforts and development activities. Yet despite their critical importance, efforts to collate, update, and harmonize detailed sub-national agricultural production statistics are frequently redundant and incomplete due to the substantial time, effort, and resources required. The persisting lack of coordination and standards in the food systems data community wastes valuable resources and hinders advances in action-oriented food systems knowledge. Here we introduce the HarvestStat sub-national data consortium as an open-source, collaborative, and transparent model to overcome these challenges. HarvestStat is collaboratively producing publicly available databases and datasets for the food systems community and the broader environmental and sustainability sciences by moving beyond closed and disjointed data-gathering efforts. We are guided by core principles of complete data openness-prioritizing high standards of quality assurance; active inclusion-emphasizing involvement from local experts; and collaboration-fostering engagement across communities of data producers and users. We extend an open global call to action, inviting organizations and individuals to engage in advancing this critical agenda.

Keywords:

HarvestStat

subnational

agricultural statistics

FAIR guidelines

open data

HarvestStat: a global effort towards open and standardized sub-national agricultural data

Abstract

Journal

Organization