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Privacy Policy

To be accepted by registered contributors and users

EU-FarmBook, legally represented by Professor Pieter Spanoghe, Ghent University, Department of Plants and Crops, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium, is committed to protecting the privacy and security of the users of this platform.

This Privacy Policy is intended to inform you about the processing of personal data that takes place via EU-FarmBook. By using this EU-FarmBook platform, you agree to accept this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy must be read in conjunction with our Cookie Policy. Please read the following carefully before using the platform.

Data collection and reasons why

Your (personal) data will be kept and processed on a secure server of Ghent University and accessible only to the EU-FarmBook project partners.

To protect your privacy and security, we take reasonable steps (such as requesting a unique password) to verify your identity before granting your profile access or making corrections.

You consent to receive emails by selecting an option:

  1. I wish to ONLY receive the newsletter and emails related to the EU-FarmBook project and/or platform:  By selecting this option, you consent to receive newsletters and emails that provide information about the EU-FarmBook project, plus updates about the platform and related content.
  2. I wish to OCCASSIONALLY PARTICIPATE in project activities: By selecting this option, you give us permission to invite you to participate in project activities such as workshops, webinars, field trips, and other events.
  3. I wish to CONTRIBUTE MORE ACTIVELY in project activities: By selecting this option, you express your interest in actively contributing to the project by participating in online or face-to-face feedback and focus groups. These groups may require your participation on a regular basis but not more than once or twice a year.
  4. I consent to ALL OF THE ABOVE:  By selecting this option, you consent to all of the statements above, allowing us to send you our newsletters and to contact you for participation in project activities on a more regular basis.

EU-FarmBook will collect personal data that you submit to us:

  • data needed to identify you (e.g. name, organisation, job title, email address), in order to provide you with customized content, to have a personalized user experience, and to inform you about the services in which you have indicated an interest and giving you access to your personal dashboard to overview your analytics (KOs, metadata, likes, comments, …)
  • data that a knowledge creator have given us themself about the expert domain. Platform users can learn more about the creators as experts (name, job title, expertise, email address)
  • data shared via the EU-FarmBook platform between platform users when interacting and sharing ideas, discussing, questioning, … (online community)
  • IP addresses: EU-FarmBook collects and log the IP address of all platform users to URL, so that EU-FarmBook can properly manage the system and gather information about how the site and platform is being used (analytics software still to be decided). This includes the pages platform users are viewing and duration of the visit or browsing of the platform.

Data processing and methods of processing

EU-FarmBook takes appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, or unauthorized destruction of the Data. EU-FarmBook ensures that the processing of the personal data obtained takes place in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations and this privacy policy. This means that we:

  • process your personal data in accordance with the purpose for which they were provided;
  • limit the processing to those data that are necessary within this purpose;
  • request your explicit consent when required by law;
  • have taken appropriate, technical and organizational measures to ensure appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing, and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.
  • To ensure fair processing, personal data will not be retained by EU-FarmBook for longer than necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was originally collected, or for which it was further processed. 

Your rights regarding data processing based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Users may exercise certain rights regarding their data.

In particular, you have the right to do the following, to the extent permitted by law:

  • Withdraw your consent at any time. Users have the right to withdraw consent where they have previously given their consent to the processing of their personal data.
  • Object to processing of your data. Users have the right to object to the processing of their data if the processing is carried out on a legal basis other than consent.
  • Access to your data. Users have the right to learn if data is being processed, obtain disclosure regarding certain aspects of the processing and obtain a copy of the data undergoing processing.
  • Verify and seek rectification. Users have the right to verify the accuracy of their data and ask for it to be updated or corrected.
  • Restrict the processing of your data. Users have the right to restrict the processing of their data. In this case, EU-FarmBook will not process your data for any purpose other than storing it.
  • Have your personal data deleted or otherwise removed. Users have the right to obtain the erasure of their data.
  • Receive your data and have it transferred to another controller. Users have the right to receive their data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and, if technically feasible, to have it transmitted to another controller without any hindrance.
  • Lodge a complaint. Users have the right to bring a claim before their competent data protection authority.

Any requests to exercise user rights can be directed to GDPR@eufarmbook.eu.

Any personal information relating to other people

If you submit to EU-FarmBook any personal information relating to other people, you represent that you have the authority to do so and permit us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. By submitting personal information, you grant EU-FarmBook the right to transmit, monitor, retrieve, store and use your information in connection with the operation of the platform.

EU-FarmBook platform users shall have the right to access the information EU-FarmBook holds about them. EU-FarmBook will also take reasonable steps to ensure that this information is kept up to date by asking users whether there have been any changes.

Data security 

By registering on the platform, you confirm and understand that you are obligated to use a password to access the EU-FarmBook platform, you must not reveal your password and must take reasonable steps to keep your password confidential and secure. You agree to immediately notify EU-FarmBook if you become aware of or have reason to believe that there is any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security. EU-FarmBook is in no way liable for any claims or losses related to the use or misuse of your password or account due to the activities of any third party outside of our control or due to your failure to maintain their confidentiality and security.

EU-FarmBook makes every reasonable effort to ensure that your personal information remains as secure as possible. Accordingly, we prevent unauthorized access by a secure firewall and use of security technologies to protect the integrity and privacy of any personal information you provide. As an additional security measure, your personal information is also encrypted.

Links to external websites

This Privacy Policy applies only to the EU-FarmBook platform. In order to provide platform users with other helpful information, the EU-FarmBook platform contains links to other websites. However, EU-FarmBook provides no authority over external organizations’ websites and this policy does not apply to external sites that are providing them with personal information. We always advice you to check the privacy policies of those other websites.

Update Privacy Policy

EU-FarmBook reserves the right to change, modify, add or remove portions of these Privacy Policy at its sole discretion at any time and without prior notice. Please check this Privacy Policy periodically to keep informed of any changes. Your continued use of any service following the posting of any changes will mean that you have accepted and agreed to the changes. This version of the Privacy Policy was last modified on 10-11-2023. 

EU-FarmBook bears no obligation to inform the platform users in advance of any such changes.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or concerns about how we collect, use or protect your information, please contact us at gdpr@eufarmbook.eu. Or contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) of Ghent University via privacy@ugent.be.  A formal complaint can be submitted to the Belgian Data Protection Authority via dataprotectionauthority.be. It can be reached by mail at Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels, and by email at the following email address: contact@apd-gba.be. If you are a resident of a different country than Belgium, you also have the right to lodge a complaint  to your local supervisory authority. You can find the contact details of the local supervisory authorities here: ec.europa.eu.