Climate challenges drive us to look for innovative solutions to meet EU targets in a short timeframe, anticipate events, and help farmers make more tactical decisions for their crops and investments.
The use of satellite imagery for the agricultural sector has been around for nearly 50 years, since the first satellite in NASA's Landsat programme began sending back images in 1972.
Although the use of satellite imagery in the agricultural sector is nothing new, until recently its use was relatively limited. This was due in part to problems with the resolution and frequency of these images, but also to an inability to assimilate this potentially valuable volume of data into the day-to-day operations of a typical farm.
It is certain that agriculture is one of the main sectors contributing to the climate crisis. So this is also where we must start to minimise the emissions that contribute to this problem. As industry and governments are faced with new, disruptive and global events, they also need new tools to reduce risk, maximise competitive advantage, measure and report.
Satellite imagery is an ally of agriculture as it provides near real-time data, can cover a large area in a short period of time, eliminates the need for costly manual data collection and the potential for human error.
The company Planet, for example, is a world-leading provider of satellite imagery. This data has been enhanced and is now able to be integrated into every innovation that takes place on a farm. Find out more at: https://www.planet.com/
Today, the integration of geospatial data is constantly coupled with a range of innovative solutions that help global agriculture work smarter and more sustainably. There are already several examples of companies providing satellite imagery combined with integrated data that enable these innovative solutions.
For example, geoFootprint was recently developed by Quantis, a Swiss company, with support from EIT Climate-KIC. This is one of the tools that uses satellite imagery combined with environmental parameters and allows users to visualise the ecological footprint of their crops. It is necessary to know the impact that crops have on the ecological footprint in order to change practices and minimise problems. Find out more at https://geofootprint.com/
Also the Syngenta Group, in partnership with different companies, already uses satellite images to develop platforms that allow the protection of agricultural crops, climate risk regulation, financial management - as it allows the dynamics of parameters such as water to be understood and thus make decisions, among others. Learn more at https://www.syngenta.pt/
EOfactory.ai has developed a range of specific solutions that can help assess land zoning and suitability of crop sites, monitor crop health, forecast yields and estimate crop production and acreage, as well as assess crop damage levels. Find out more at https://eofactory.ai/
Pasture.IO is another real-world example of how satellite imagery can work with other technologies to address a specific agricultural challenge. The pasture management platform was born in an attempt to replace the traditional instinct used by farmers in managing herd grazing, with a more scientific approach. Learn more at https://pasture.io/
These are some examples that show that satellite imagery combined with integrated data, are the way forward as they contribute positively to the agricultural sector by supporting or even eliminating the daily decision-making burden on farmers, allowing them to farm more efficiently and adopt sustainable environmental practices.
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