Ag Data Transparent
Ag Data Transparent is a non-profit organization that certifies agricultural technology companies on data contract transparency and verifies carbon program contracts. It serves ag tech providers, carbon program operators, and farmer-led industry organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ag Data Transparent does
Ag Data Transparent (legally Ag Data Transparency Evaluator, Inc.) is an Indianapolis-based non-profit certification organization founded in 2014 by the American Farm Bureau Federation and major U.S. farmer-led commodity organizations. It administers third-party certifications for agricultural technology companies on the transparency of their farm data contracts, and increasingly for carbon program providers on the terms of their carbon market contracts with farmers. ADT's primary deliverable is a verifiable seal (the ADT seal for ag data, the ACT seal for carbon) awarded after an evaluation against standardized question sets.
The certification framework rests on two proprietary evaluation methodologies: the ADT 11-Question Data Use Certification, which audits ag data contracts on ownership, use, portability, and security, and the ACT 10-Question Carbon Contract Verification, which audits carbon programs on environmental asset creation, measurement standards, payment terms, and farmer commitments. Supporting assets include the Model Ag Data Use Agreement template (last updated November 2025 to add sustainability, usage, and AI-derived data categories) and an Ag Data Categories classification framework. Evaluations are conducted by an independent third-party administrator, attorney Todd J. Janzen of Janzen Schroeder Ag Law LLC. ADT has certified more than 25 ag tech members including John Deere, Climate LLC (Bayer/FieldView), Syngenta (Cropwise), GROWMARK, Indigo Ag, Farm Credit Canada, CattleOS, and GrainFox, with Carbon by Indigo becoming the first Ag Carbon Transparent verified program.
ADT operates a tiered membership-based revenue model with three categories: Certified Members (ag tech providers paying $2,500–$7,500 in initial certification fees based on company revenue, plus half-fee renewals), Industry Members (farmer-led organizations at $2,500/year), and Supporting Members (companies and organizations in the food and ag supply chain, fee set by the board). Governance is shared among farmer organizations and ag tech members, all serving on the board; the organization's budget is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is content-led and partnership-driven rather than sales-led, leveraging industry events (e.g., Commodity Classic), LinkedIn, a YouTube channel, an email newsletter, and partnerships with farmer-led associations to recruit new certified members.
Ag Data Transparent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ag Data Transparent
- Legal name
- Ag Data Transparency Evaluator, Inc.
- Website
- https://agdatatransparent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ag Data Transparent is a non-profit organization that certifies agricultural technology companies on data contract transparency and verifies carbon program contracts. It serves ag tech providers, carbon program operators, and farmer-led industry organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ag Data Transparent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Data Certification
- NAICS
- Regulation of Agricultural Marketing and Commodities (92614), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traceability & Chain-of-Custody Certification (Mass Balance, Segregation, Identity Preserved) (AFALAMAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Design & Regulatory Verification (AFALADAI)
Keywords
Where Ag Data Transparent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ag Data Transparent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: ADT generates revenue through certification and membership fees from three categories of members: Certified Members (ag tech companies), Industry Members (farmer-led organizations), and Supporting Members. Fees are structured by company size for certified members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Small Organizations and Startups: $2,500 annual fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Medium-Sized Organizations: $5,000 annual fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Large Organizations: $7,500 annual fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Industry Members: $2,500 initial sponsorship fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporting Members: Fee determined by board |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ag Data Transparent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ag Data Transparent (ADT) is a non-profit organization that provides third-party certification and verification services for agricultural technology companies and carbon program providers. It evaluates ag data contracts against 11 core questions covering data ownership, use, portability, and security through its ADT Certification, and verifies carbon programs against 10 questions about environmental asset creation, measurement, payment terms, and farmer commitments through its Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) Verification program.
Product overview
Ag Data Transparent (ADT) is a non-profit certification organization offering two main programs: the ADT Certification for ag tech companies and the Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) Verification for carbon program providers. The ADT Certification evaluates companies against 11 questions about farm data practices, while ACT Verification evaluates carbon programs against 10 questions. ADT provides a Model Ag Data Use Agreement as a template for companies seeking certification. The organization also offers membership tiers for certified companies, industry organizations, and supporters, with fees ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 depending on company size and membership type.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT): Verification program for agricultural carbon programs that provides transparency, simplicity and trust in carbon initiatives, similar to the ADT certification for ag data.
Products and services
- Ag Data Transparent (ADT) Certification Third-party certification program that evaluates agricultural technology companies' data use contracts against 11 core questions about ownership, collection, use, sharing, and security of farm data. Companies that pass receive the ADT seal signaling transparency, simplicity, and trust.
- Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) Verification Verification program for agricultural carbon program providers, evaluating carbon contracts against 10 questions about environmental asset creation, measurement standards, payment terms, and farmer commitments based on the Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon.
- Model Ag Data Use Agreement A template agreement based on the Core Principles that helps ag tech providers create transparent contracts with farmers, covering data origination, ownership, storage, and termination.
- ADT Membership Program Membership program offering three categories of membership for ag tech companies ($2,500 to $7,500 based on size), farmer-led industry organizations ($2,500), and supporting members (fee determined by board). Includes access to certification, member portal, and resources.
Companies that use Ag Data Transparent
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ag Data Transparent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Ag Data Transparent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.
- National Sorghum ProducersminorSupporter of Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon, helping promote transparency standards among sorghum producers.
- National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)coreNCGA and ADT partnered in July 2025 to launch the Ag Carbon Transparent project, bringing clarity to farmers interested in carbon market contracts. NCGA is a co-founder of the Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon and provides farmer representation on the ADT board. The partnership leverages NCGA's 36,000+ corn grower members to promote transparency standards.
- American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)coreAFBF helped establish the Privacy and Security Principles for Farm Data in November 2014 and hosted round-table meetings with other farm organizations and ag tech providers to address farmer concerns about data privacy. AFBF is a founding partner and board member of ADT.
- American Soybean AssociationcoreParticipated in original 2014 round-table discussions on ag data privacy. Represents soybean growers' interests in ADT governance.
- National Farmers UnioncoreParticipated in original 2014 discussions on ag data principles. Represents farmer interests in ADT board governance.
- Janzen Schroeder Ag Law LLCcoreThe law firm contracted by ADT to conduct certification evaluations. Attorney Todd J. Janzen serves as ADT Administrator, reviewing company contracts and answers to certification questions.
- Indigo AgflagshipIndigo Ag is the first company to become Ag Carbon Transparent verified, demonstrating commitment to transparency principles. Has been involved in carbon marketplace for seven years with over 8 million enrolled acres. Works with ADT to help farmers understand carbon programs.
- Bayer Crop ScienceminorSupporter of Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon.
- GROWMARKminorSupporter of Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon and ADT certified member.
- American Farmland TrustminorSupporter of Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon.
- Corteva AgriscienceminorSupporter of Transparency Principles for Ag Carbon.
- Canadian Federation of AgriculturecoreADT's first Canadian farmer-led organization member. Represents Canadian farmers' interests in ag data transparency.
- John DeerecoreLong-time ADT member and active participant in ag data transparency efforts. Recognizes farmers' need for data privacy and security. Board member representation from John Deere.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ag Data Transparent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SCS Global Services: SCS Global Services is an independent third-party certification body that audits agricultural sustainability, carbon, and supply-chain claims. Like ADT, it offers third-party verification trusted by agribusiness and food companies, with comparable transparency and ESG certification offerings.
- SustainCERT: SustainCERT provides third-party certification of carbon and climate impact claims for agricultural and land-based projects. Comparable to ADT's ACT verification program in being a specialized, independent certification body for sustainability and carbon programs.
- FoodChain ID: FoodChain ID provides third-party certification and verification services across the food and agricultural supply chain, including Non-GMO, organic, and sustainability claims. Similar to ADT in providing independent certification for ag tech providers and food companies.
- Where Food Comes From: Where Food Comes From provides third-party verification of food and agricultural claims, including source-of-origin and sustainability certifications. Comparable to ADT in operating as an independent verification organization for ag supply-chain transparency.
- SureHarvest: SureHarvest delivers sustainability certification, metrics, and verification services for agricultural producers and supply chains. It directly parallels ADT's work in developing sustainability standards and verifying producer compliance in agriculture.
Broad incumbents
- Verra: Verra operates the world's leading carbon credit standard (VCS Program) and provides third-party verification of carbon offset projects. Comparable to ADT's ACT verification program but at a much larger scale and broader scope across carbon markets.
- Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is an independent certification and advisory organization that verifies carbon footprint and sustainability claims for businesses. Comparable to ADT in providing third-party verification of corporate and product sustainability claims in agricultural supply chains.
- Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit that certifies agricultural and forestry products against sustainability standards. Comparable to ADT in providing third-party sustainability certification that addresses farmer and environmental concerns.
- Fair Trade USA: Fair Trade USA is a major third-party certification organization for agricultural products that addresses farmer welfare and supply chain transparency. Similar in role to ADT as a non-profit certification body providing trust signals in agricultural markets.
Emerging players
- Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag operates agricultural carbon and grain marketplaces, and is the first ACT-verified program under ADT. While a customer rather than competitor, Indigo's own verification infrastructure for carbon programs overlaps with ADT's emerging ACT service.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ag Data Transparent social profiles
Digital presenceAg Data Transparent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ag Data Transparent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Ag Data Transparent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ag Data Transparent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ag Data Transparent
What does Ag Data Transparent do?
Ag Data Transparent (ADT) is a non-profit organization that provides third-party certification and verification services for agricultural technology companies and carbon program providers. It evaluates ag data contracts against 11 core questions covering data ownership, use, portability, and security through its ADT Certification, and verifies carbon programs against 10 questions about environmental asset creation, measurement, payment terms, and farmer commitments through its Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) Verification program.
Is Ag Data Transparent a public or private company?
Ag Data Transparent is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ag Data Transparent founded?
Ag Data Transparent was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ag Data Transparent based?
Ag Data Transparent is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ag Data Transparent make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Fees.
Who are Ag Data Transparent's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SCS Global Services, SustainCERT, FoodChain ID, Where Food Comes From and SureHarvest. Broad incumbents are Verra, Carbon Trust, Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade USA. Indigo Ag is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ag Data Transparent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ag Data Transparent.
What industry is Ag Data Transparent in?
Ag Data Transparent's product category is Agricultural Data Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAMAK, Traceability & Chain-of-Custody Certification (Mass Balance, Segregation, Identity Preserved), with a secondary code of AFALADAI, Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Design & Regulatory Verification. Its NAICS code is 92614 and its SIC code is 8734.