Carbon food labels are coming. For a while, they are going to be messy and contentious. They are going to result in litigation and legislation.

While participating in a recent podcast hosted by United Soybean Board’s Tech Toolshed (Getting to know Ag Data Transparent), the host asked this question: What does data transparency mean? I asked a few industry leaders about what “data transparency” means to them.

As someone who is immersed in legal issues related to data privacy and ownership, it should come as no surprise that I have a Google alert set up so that I get notified when a company uses the words “transparency” and “ag data” in a sentence.

For the most part, the Australian Farm Data Code follows the framework of North America’s Core Principles, focusing on clarity, portability, control, consent and sharing, and deletion rights. It is similarly an aspirational document, a set of guiding principles.