The Data Revolution: AHDB's role in shaping the future

AHDB is looking to procure a consultant to produce a report for the AHDB Leadership Team. The report should follow desk-based research and interviews and include a series of recommendations aimed at helping scope the AHDB vision and shaping our future role with data. A feedback meeting may be required to discuss the recommendations.

The report should cover, at a minimum, the following areas:

- How is the agricultural landscape changing as the result of big data and technological advances in data capture and management such as AI & blockchain? How will these trends continue to change over the next 3 -5 years?

- To what extent are farmers, processors and retailers using big data and related technological advances at the moment? How might they take advantage of potential applications in the future?

- How does AHDB effectively communicate the role of big data, its usefulness and limitations to the industry as well as encouraging, championing and supporting the industry's participation in big data projects?

- How can AHDB work alongside the Government's Centres for Agriculture Innovation and other commercial organisations to:

- Become partners and advocacies in projects/initiatives that will add the most value for levy payers? - Establish which projects and opportunities AHDB should lead on and/or drive to add the most value for levy payers? - Discover the practical tools farmers' would most likely benefit from? - Reduce data fragmentation and effectively join data sources?

- How does the availability of "big data" impact on AHDB's current offer? How will this change by 2025?

- What are the hurdles and risks AHDB and the industry will face when working in a "big data" world (e.g. commercial confidentiality, data protection limitations etc)?

The report should also identify future ways the consultant and AHDB could work together to progress the recommendations outlined in the report.