As the White House released a compilation of the events associated with this week’s U.S.-Africa leaders summit, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced four new African partners in USDA’s initiative to share government-gathered information with the rest of the world.

The Ghana Open Data Initiative, Sierra Leone, IBM and Kellogg Company will join more than 100 partners in the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative who work to make agricultural and nutritional data available for unrestricted use worldwide, Vilsack said in a news release.

“At its core, this summit is about fostering stronger ties between the United States and Africa,” Vilsack said in a news release. “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 summit was broadly focused, but during one speech Obama said, “Agricultural development is critical because it’s the best way to boost income for the majority of Africans who are farmers, especially as they deal with the impacts of climate change.”

▪ Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition
▪ White House — U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit