In today's world it appears we all take the privacy of our own data too lightly. Kevin Kenney is trying to get Nebraska Farm Bureau engaged.

Is Your Farm Data Truly Yours?

Farm data privacy and ownership are critical to the future of agriculture, yet NEFB has historically not taken a definitive stance on these issues. Recent efforts, however, reflect growing awareness of cybersecurity threats and the need to protect farmers' data.

In 2018, Section 1619 of the Farm Bill established provisions that restrict the disclosure of information provided by farmers, including production and operational data, ensuring federal protection for private and proprietary information. These safeguards underscore the need for strong, enforceable policies at all levels to protect the integrity and confidentiality of farm data.

NEFB has made progress in raising awareness through initiatives like the Cybersecurity Policy Guide (2022) and the Agriculture Threats Symposium (2024), hosted in partnership with the FBI. These initiatives have addressed a range of critical risks, including:

• Ransomware

• Malware

• Unauthorized data use

These efforts highlight the vulnerability of agricultural operations to cyber threats.

Despite this progress, the current draft of Resolution #536, Proprietary Data, lacks robust protections to ensure farmers' ownership and control of their data. It also fails to fully align with federal provisions, including Section 1619, which prohibits sharing farmers’ data without consent. Furthermore, principles from Ag Data Transparent advocate that farmers retain ownership and explicit control over their data. By aligning with these principles, farmers gain greater control over how their data is used and shared, potentially leading to better market opportunities and improved farm management practices. These standards must guide our policy framework.

With the NEFB Annual Meeting (Dec. 8–10) approaching, we have a critical opportunity to address these shortcomings. Contact your voting delegates and NEFB leadership to demand stronger commitments to data privacy, ownership, and security for Nebraska farmers. Failure to act now could leave farmers vulnerable to data breaches, misuse of their information, and ultimately, jeopardize the future of their operations.

Together, we can align NEFB policies with federal standards and safeguard the future of agriculture.

-Kevin Kenney

Fuel Systems Engineer