New partner joins Agriculture-nutrition open data initiative #ghana

Four new partners have joined the Global
Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative,
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at the recent
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
The Ghana Open Data Initiative, Sierra Leone, IBM and
Kellogg Company will join over 100 GODAN partners that
work to make agricultural and nutritional data available,
accessible and useable for unrestricted use worldwide, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in an August 6
press release.
Launched in October 2013, GODAN supports efforts to make
agriculturally and nutritionally relevant data available for
public global use. Open data on agriculture, nutrition and
food systems can be a powerful tool for long-term
sustainable development by improving the economic
opportunities for farmers and the health of all consumers,
USDA said.
The initiative encourages collaboration and cooperation
among existing agriculture and open data activities, and
brings together all stakeholders to solve long-standing
global problems. GODAN is the first global open data
initiative spanning public and private entities including
donors, international organizations and businesses.
During the summit, Vilsack also announced up to $1 billion
in export credit guarantees that will enhance trade between
the U.S. and Africa.
"At its core, this summit is about fostering stronger ties
between the United States and Africa," Vilsack said. "USDA
looks forward to further partnering with African nations
through the GODAN initiative, and with the new trade
opportunities that new financing guarantees will make
possible."
The export credit is a part of President Obama's Doing
Business in Africa Campaign. Through the campaign, the
U.S. government is strengthening its commercial
relationship with Africa, a diverse region that offers
substantial trade and investment opportunities across
national and regional markets.
The campaign encourages U.S. commercial engagement in
Africa by harnessing the resources of the U.S. government
to assist businesses in identifying and seizing opportunities
and to engage with members of the African diaspora in the
United States. USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation will
make available up to $1 billion in financing guarantees to
export U.S. agricultural commodities to Africa over the next
two years. The Agriculture Department, which currently
works with nine eligible banks in 49 African countries, will
also conduct outreach seminars to Africa in 2015 to
promote the use of its credit guarantee program for the
export of U.S. agricultural products.