The Full Picture

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Sustainable agriculture

and Earth observation

Glenn R. Bethel, US Department of Agriculture and Gregory L. Stensaas, US Geological Survey

roduction of food and fibre, as well as the maintenance

and restoration of soil and water resources are vital to

human welfare. Increasing population is creating greater

demand for resources, generating more waste, and is conse-

quently straining the capacity of the environment to support

human activity. High consumption and industrialization, dispar-

ity of distribution patterns of wealth and land, conflicting

politics, poverty, and inefficient technology interact with popu-

lation growth to further tax the ability of natural resources,

agriculture and forestry practices. Sustainable land use and the

prevention of land degradation have become domestic and inter-

national priorities. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is

committed to supporting sustainable agriculture efforts includ-

ing the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of

diverse food, fibre, agriculture, forest, and range systems.

Remote sensing essentially comprises drawing on satellite data and

aerial photography to complement field measurements and other

data collection sources. It has the potential to provide continual feed-

back on within-season production progress for remedial actions

when factors limiting production such as pests, water, nutrient defi-

ciency, or drought intervene. The same information can support

governmental activities, such as managing public lands,

monitoring for compliance with land use agreements

and resource conservation legislation, as well as detect-

ing signs of bioterrorism.

This potential cannot be realised until we can consis-

tently deliver credible products with the spatial, spectral,

and temporal resolution required to support farm level

decisions. National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey

(USGS), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

work with many international organizations and use

remotely sensed data to provide objective, global, scien-

tific information to support farm level decision-making.

Farm level information can aid in crop, water, and

pest management. Meaningful agricultural monitoring

requires the integration of multiple sources of spatial,

spectral and temporal remotely sensed data with agro

climatic data. These multiple data sources need to be

well defined and integrated into the best possible deci-

sion support systems to meet the timely and accurate

information requirements of farmers, commodity

traders, and governments. If a GEO community could be

formed to provide analysis based on current factual data

for the developers of the decision support models, we

could come closer to making accurate models and/or

determining what new sensors are needed to optimize

the decision support systems and better support soci-

etal needs.

Global land observation and agriculture

sustainment

Global agricultural monitoring can improve food secu-

rity, aid in agricultural management, and prevent hunger

and starvation. Monitoring the actual changes in the

earth’s farm land and forests becomes more urgent as

land transitions from agricultural and forestry. The

analysis of global production is becoming more complex

as crops for fuel compete with crops for food, feed, and

seed. Shortages of fresh water resources for irrigation

and increases in soil salinity and arid climates could

further restrict the world’s agricultural production.

It is within this context that global coverage of high

resolution (30m, Landsat ETM+) satellite imagery for

land monitoring and agriculture sustainability becomes

so important. Agriculture assessment scientists use such

Poor production on a farm in Africa due to crop sustainment shortages

Photo: Chris Reij and Gary Tappan, SAIC contractor to USGS

OCIETAL

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GRICULTURE