** This GO FAIR Implementation Network is no longer active. Visit this webpage for an overview of current Implementation Networks. **

GO FAIR Implementation Network
to advance a global data ecosystem for agriculture and food by implementing FAIR data and services

Agri-food systems are facing unprecedented socio-economic, and environmental challenges to feed 2 billion more people by 2050. In order to effectively address these pressing global challenges we need better availability of data. The heterogeneous nature of many data sources force us to think about interoperability of the data for better reuse, both by humans and machines. For better reuse of data, we need to achieve a shared understanding of how we describe and publish data, in a semantically grounded manner.

Main purpose and objectives
The purpose of this implementation network is to support the implementation of FAIR principles in agri-food sciences, in providing guidelines, tools, methods, etc. with specific efforts towards achieving semantic interoperability. To this end, the Food Systems IN will boost the adoption and implementation of recommendations from existing initiatives such as RDA working groups, GODAN working groups, and W3C.

We will work on the following objectives:

  • To advocate for FAIR data principles in data sharing policies.
  • To foster the continued implementation of FAIR principles based on existing recommendations and if needed support to create new ones.
  • Facilitate agreement on the use of vocabularies, standards and protocols.
  • To disseminate best practices to a large community of practitioners.

We will produce:

  • A collection of tools, resources, and methodologies
  • A collection of use cases
  • A collection of dissemination products

Main tasks

  • In 2019, the Food Systems Implementation Network will launch as a GODAN Working Group and will be open to anyone who agrees to this manifesto.
  • Identify existing recommendations relevant to our objectives. If concurrent ones exist, then make choices. If new ones are needed, set them as challenges to address in the IN.
  • As a source of inspiration The Farm Data Train (FDT) will be used by Food Systems IN members to explain how the FAIR data principles in food systems may be implemented.

Manifesto
Download the manifesto here.

Contact
Ben Schaap (GODAN / Wageningen UR, ben.schaap@godan.info)
Sophie Aubin (INRA, sophie.aubin@inra.fr)

Are you interested in joining Food Systems IN? Please express your interest by filling in the form below. Your request will be forwarded to the IN Coordinator(s) who will get in touch as soon as possible.

Partners (signed by) 
CABI (Martin Parr)
DTL (Rob Hooft)
Embrapa (Patricia Bertin)
FAO (Imma Subirats)
GODAN (Andre Laperierre)
INRA (Sophie Aubin, Odile Hologne)
Univ. Montpellier (Clement Jonquet)
RDA Interest Group on Agricultural Data (Imma Subirats)
IPK Gatersleben (Uwe Scholtz)
AgroKnow (Nikos Manouselis)
ISRIC (Rik van den Bosch)
Wageningen University and Research (Willem Jan Knibbe)
Syngenta (Graham Mullier)
IPSNP (Chris Baker)
CIRAD (Pascal Bonnet)
CIARD (Valeria Pesce)
Micelio (Andra Waagmeester)
IRD (Pierre Larmande)
FAIRsharing (Peter McQuilton, Susanna Sansone, Philippe Rocca-Serra)
U. Guelph (Rozita Dara) to be confirmed
Irstea (Colette Cadiou)
API-AGRO (Theo-Paul Haezebrouck)