Researchers in food and agricultural economics increasingly rely on large, complex datasets to study a range of topics across the food supply chain

However, data access constraints, fragmented data sources, inconsistent documentation, and limited reproducibility create barriers that impede rigorous, timely, and policy-relevant research. The proposed pre-conference workshop seeks to address these barriers by convening researchers, data providers, and institutional leaders to build a sustainable, community-driven data sharing system for food and agricultural economics. The workshop will foster in-depth discussions and policy dialogue through invited addresses, panel sessions with institutional representatives and data providers, and research presentations from applied economists working with big data. Participants will engage in guided breakout sessions designed to generate actionable solutions. These discussions will focus on establishing best practices for data curation and governance, developing approaches to harmonize standards across datasets, and identifying opportunities for joint funding to support long-term infrastructure. The workshop will be hosted as part of the western agricultural economics association's annual meeting, which has a long history of promoting economic research on food, agriculture, and human welfare. Deliverables of this workshop include: (1) a publicly available report; (2) a peer-reviewed article summarizing best practices; and (3) the establishment of a national network of working groups focused on big data sharing. The broader impact will be to improve data interoperability and access, reduce duplication of effort, and expand the role of big data in research that informs food and agricultural policy.