My colleague, Laurie Ristino up there in Vermont wrote a great blog about the need for data in terms of the farm bill. I remind every market and every food service organization that collecting data now is necessary for your state or national advocates to help build our farm bill agenda.

Data as a policy issue seems both prosaic and nerdy. But the absence of usable, quality data precludes the American public from reaping the value of their investment of billions in the farm bill. It’s time to unlock the ability to measure the farm bill’s impact and enhance the return.

Data is the currency of our modern economy. While often associated with the fortunes of Silicon Valley, big data is harnessed by companies that loom large in the agriculture sector to create new services and products key to their business strategies.

Professor Laurie Ristino is the founding director of the Vermont Law School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) and an associate professor of law. Professor Ristino is also the faculty adviser to the VLS Food and Agriculture Law Society.

Morning Consult