Commonwealth launches landmark guide to build trusted data systems for agriculture and food security

The Commonwealth Secretariat today launched the National Agricultural Data Infrastructure (NAgDI) Policy Guide, a landmark framework to help member countries unlock the power of agricultural data as a driver of productivity, food security and digital sovereignty.

Developed through three years of collaboration with governments, experts and partners across the Commonwealth, the National Agricultural Data Infrastructure Policy Guide sets out a five-year roadmap for building trusted, interoperable and independently governed national data systems. It provides practical policy and investment tools for governments to coordinate agricultural data management across the public and private sectors.

The initiative is part of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment, which supports member states to strengthen digital cooperation and build the foundations of a fair and inclusive data economy.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Hon. Shirley Botchwey said the launch marked a pivotal step in building resilience through cooperation and trust:

"In a world where shocks, economic, environmental or social, arrive with increasing intensity, reliable and trusted data systems are not a luxury; they are a necessity," the Secretary-General said.
"Our goal is to ensure no farmer is invisible, no innovator locked out, and no government flying blind. Data should serve people, communities and futures."

Representing the Chair of the Supply Side Connectivity Cluster of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, Mr Dreli Silas Solomon, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Vanuatu, highlighted the importance of shared digital capacity across member states:

“NAgDI is about capacity building for countries; it is about shared infrastructure for data; and it is about empowering each of our member countries to create the enabling environment for data coordination, one that supports investors, young innovators, traders and producers alike.”

Dr Benjamin Addom, Adviser on Agriculture and Fisheries Trade Policy at the Commonwealth Secretariat and policy lead of the NAgDI initiative, said the framework provides countries with a model to treat agricultural data as a strategic national asset.

“Data has become the new soil of agriculture,” he said. “When datasets remain fragmented and disconnected, countries lose value and sovereignty. NAgDI helps governments bring those pieces together, creating a trusted national space for data exchange that supports better policy, fairer markets and smarter innovation.”

The NAgDI Policy Guide identifies four priority areas for national investment:

Data governance and principles – setting clear rules for ownership, access and use;
Independent oversight – ensuring transparent administration of data systems;
Interoperable technologies – enabling secure exchange between sectors and systems; and
Sustainable financing – creating long-term business models for operation and maintenance.

The framework draws on lessons from country dialogues in Malawi, Ghana, Bangladesh and the Caribbean, showing that many nations already have key components in place but need coordination to bring them together under one national approach.

Looking ahead, the Commonwealth Secretariat will support member countries to translate the policy guide into national action plans, mobilising investment and technical assistance for early implementation.