WorldClim 2.1 (worldclim.org)
Long-run bioclimatic normals at 1km — widely used for suitability modeling, but not open for commercial use.
What this is
WorldClim 2.1 provides 19 bioclimatic variables plus monthly temperature and precipitation normals at 1km–~340km², covering 1970–2000 baselines. License: a custom non-commercial license — stricter than CC-BY-NC-SA in that even non-commercial redistribution requires explicit permission. Read the WorldClim terms before any redistribution or derivative use.
Why we surface it
WorldClim appears in a large share of global crop-suitability and agro-ecological modeling. Its custom NC license bars commercial use and restricts redistribution beyond what a standard CC-BY-NC-SA license would allow. If your use is commercial, this dataset is not available to you.
What you can do with it
Shown for commercial use. Personal, research, and nonprofit use is often more permissive — switch the verdict lens on the catalog.
- Internal / individual use
- Custom or restrictive terms — we can't auto-decode this one. Read the source agreement before using, especially for commercial use, AI training, and redistribution. When in doubt, ask the provider.
- Redistribute the data
- Custom or restrictive terms — we can't auto-decode this one. Read the source agreement before using, especially for commercial use, AI training, and redistribution. When in doubt, ask the provider.
- Republish a derivative
- Custom or restrictive terms — we can't auto-decode this one. Read the source agreement before using, especially for commercial use, AI training, and redistribution. When in doubt, ask the provider.
- Build into a private product
- Custom or restrictive terms — we can't auto-decode this one. Read the source agreement before using, especially for commercial use, AI training, and redistribution. When in doubt, ask the provider.
This decoder is a starting point, not legal advice. For commercial deployment, run the actual license terms past someone who reads them for a living.
Parked
Custom non-commercial license — bars commercial use and restricts redistribution even for noncommercial purposes (stricter than CC-BY-NC-SA). The most widely-cited crop-suitability dataset — surfaced with the NonCommercial caveat loud, not pursued for UFFDA integration.