How many times do we turn to Google or ask
our smartphones for answers or even directions to
a desired location? How often do we connect with
family and friends through social media platforms
such as Facebook or Twitter? How much of your
Christmas shopping did you do online last year?
Every time we connect digitally, data is generated,
collected, and on an ever-increasing basis, analyzed
to help achieve our desired outcomes. Even though
most of us think that typing a question on an Internet
search engine is free, the reality is that these simple
questions provide valuable data to a company or a
provider that uses the information to make products
or services better and more efficient. Aggregating
data can help analysts, scientists and economists
tailor products, refine research objectives, answer key
research questions and further innovation beyond the
societal and technological norms of today.
The agriculture industry has been fro