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Many of the new satellites currently in Earth’s orbit are equipped to provide revolutionary tools and data to improve global food security and strengthen agrifood systems. A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) aims to inform and guide an array of experts and policymakers on the various intersections of space technology and farming, forestry and land-use management as well as climate and environmental trends.
“Space technology has emerged as a game changer. Satellite imagery, global navigation satellite systems data and their integrated applications are now critical tools for agriculture, enabling stakeholders, ranging from local farmers to international policymakers, to monitor crop health, manage water resources, detect and control pests, and plan for weather uncertainties, among various other applications,” according to Lifeng LI, Director of FAO’s Land and Water Division, and UNOOSA Director Aarti Holla-Maini in their introduction to “Leverage Space Technology for Agricultural Development and Food Security.”
The use of geospatial technologies is far from new, having begun in 1957. Since then, more than 17,000 satellites have been launched, with the rate now reaching nearly 3,000 each year. However, its potential has been magnified by the increasing precision and diverse capacities of satellites, as well as a host of cloud-based applications that make granular Earth data increasingly accessible to smartphones.
There is a growing need to bridge the gap between space and agriculture – from technical interoperability and data harmonization to capacity development initiatives –, and the need for international collaboration to ensure small-scale farmers and developing countries can access and benefit from satellite data.