The new EU Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) has moved one step closer, with a provisional agreement between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.
The provisional political agreement reached last week on the FSDN regulation will amend existing regulations to convert the current Farm Accountability Data Network (FADN) into the FSDN.
The purpose of the change, according to the council, is to “better reflect the goals of the Farm to Fork Strategy”, the EU’s flagship agri-food sustainability plan.
It is hoped that the new data network will improve the sustainability of the EU’s food system though an enhanced data collection process.
The regulation establishing the FSDN will allow for the collection of additional data that the council said is necessary in the follow-up of the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and of the European Green Deal, as well as the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.
The network will see the collection of environmental and social data, in addition to the microeconomic and accountancy data that is already collected under the current FADN.
It also aims to improve links with other data collection initiatives, which, it is hoped, will reduce administrative burden.
The data collected will be used for research and policymaking purposes.
According to the council, the FSDN will also see an improvement in advisory services for farmers, while also protecting their data.
EU approval
The provisional political agreement reached last week will be first submitted to the EU member states’ representatives in the special committee on agriculture in the council, and then to the full parliament, for approval.
If approval is granted it will then enter into force.
The proposed FSDN has risen some concerns among farm organisations in relation to data protection.
Back in March, after the agriculture committee of the parliament voted to back the creation of the FSDN, Copa Cogeca, the umbrella group for EU farm organisations, called for proper regulation of how the data is used.
While it welcomed the move towards the updated data network, Copa said that regulating how data is used is “paramount”.
“It is highly important that when collecting data with the help of farmers, data is used for the benefit of farmers and not against them,” the organisation said.