Creating Sustainable Data Cooperatives in the Global South: Frameworks for Institutional Support examines how data cooperatives can offer an alternative to extractive models of digitalization in agriculture by placing ownership, governance, and benefits of data in the hands of farming communities.
Developed through a collaboration between IT for Change and SEWA Cooperative Federation, the report draws on field research with Megha Mandli, a women farmers’ cooperative in Gujarat, to explore the opportunities and challenges of building community-owned digital systems. Through an analysis of agricultural supply chains, digital infrastructure, cooperative governance, and frontline workers’ experiences, the report highlights the importance of worker-centric digitalization, data rights, and participatory technology design.
It offers practical recommendations for creating sustainable agricultural data cooperatives in India and the Global South that strengthen farmers’ bargaining power, improve market access, and ensure that digital transformation advances equity rather than deepening existing inequalities.
