Digitalisation with Trust: Towards Data Protection in Agriculture

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Supporting responsible data governance in Serbian agriculture

Digitalisation is changing the way agriculture works. Farmers increasingly use public digital platforms, private applications and online channels that collect different types of personal, production and business data.

 

This project focuses on a simple but important question: how can digitalisation in agriculture develop in a way that protects farmers’ rights, strengthens trust and supports responsible use of data?

 

The project works with farmers, agricultural advisors, civil society organisations, institutions and other relevant actors to identify risks, improve knowledge and develop practical recommendations for better data protection in agriculture.

 

PROGRAMME
EU Resource Centre for Civil Society in Serbia / Belgrade Open School
DURATION
Nov 2025 – Aug 2026
CONTACT
Re:People – Centre for Society and Technology
office@publicpolicy.rs
FOCUS COUNTRIES
Central and Eastern Serbia

Why This Project?

Farmers increasingly provide data through systems such as eAgrar, private agri-tech applications, social media and commercial platforms. These data may include information on land, production, income, location, business practices and other sensitive aspects of agricultural activity.

At the same time, many farmers do not have enough information about how their data are collected, used, shared or protected. Agricultural advisory services are also not yet fully equipped to advise farmers on data protection and cybersecurity.

The project responds to this gap by combining field research, legal and institutional analysis, training materials and public policy recommendations.

 

Objectives

The project has three main objectives:

  1. To increase farmers’ awareness of their rights and obligations related to personal and production data.
  2. To improve the capacity of agricultural advisory services to address data protection and cybersecurity issues.
  3. To encourage institutions to recognise data protection as an important issue in agriculture and rural development.

 

What We Do

Area What it means in practice
Research with farmers and advisors Interviews and focus groups on data use, risks, trust and support needs
Legal and policy analysis Review of Serbian rules and selected EU practices
Training support Development and testing of an educational module for advisors
Public advocacy Policy brief, public presentation and recommendations for institutions
Public awareness Videos, infographics and media communication on data protection in agriculture

 

Stakeholders and Cooperation

The project is implemented by Re:People – Centre for Society and Technology.

The project cooperates with farmers, agricultural advisors, civil society organisations, public institutions and other actors working on digital agriculture, data protection and rural development.

 

Key stakeholder groups include:

Stakeholder group Role in the project
Farmers Share experiences, concerns and needs related to digital tools and data protection
Agricultural advisors Participate in interviews, focus groups and pilot training
Agricultural Advisory and Expert Services of Serbia Important channel for practical support to farmers
Institute for the Application of Science in Agriculture Relevant actor for advisor training and knowledge transfer
Public institutions Users of policy recommendations and participants in public discussion
Civil society organisations Support awareness raising and advocacy on digital rights and data protection
Agri-tech and IT actors Contribute practical insight into digital tools used in agriculture

 

Contact

For more information about the project, please contact:

Re:People – Centre for Society and Technology
Email: office@publicpolicy.rs

TypeReferenceTitleDateAccess
Publication—Digitalisation in Agriculture and Data Processing in the EU and the Republic of SerbiaPublication by Zlatko Petrović on the legal and policy context of data processing in agriculture in the EU and Serbia.9 October 2026Download
Policy brief—Towards Responsible Data Governance in Serbian AgriculturePolicy brief based on project research, legal analysis and selected EU practices, with recommendations for institutions and advisory services.9 October 2026Download
Summary with recommendations—Key Recommendations for Data Protection in AgricultureShort, accessible summary of the main project findings and recommendations for policymakers, advisors and other stakeholders.9 October 2026Download
Infographic—What Farmers Should Know About Data ProtectionVisual materials explaining key issues, risks and rights related to data use in digital agriculture.9 October 2026Coming soon
Video / recording—Data Protection in Agriculture ExplainedShort public awareness videos on data protection, trust and digital tools in agriculture.9 October 2026Coming soon
TypeReferenceTitleDateAccess
—Educational module for advisorsA one-day training module on personal data protection, production data and cybersecurity in agriculture9 October 2026Download
—Training materialsSlides, guidance notes and practical examples for advisors working with farmers9 October 2026Download
—Evaluation summaryLessons from the pilot workshop and suggestions for further use9 October 2026Download
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This project is supported through the EU Resource Centre for Civil Society in Serbia / Belgrade Open School grant programme.

The content published on this website is the responsibility of Re:People – Centre for Society and Technology and does not necessarily reflect the views of the donor or programme partners.

All public materials developed within the project Digitalisation with Trust: Towards Data Protection in Agriculture are made available for free use and sharing. They may be reused for educational, research, advocacy and non-commercial purposes, provided that the source, authors and project are properly credited, unless otherwise stated.