Remote Sensing of Agriculture for Food Security Monitoring in the Developing World

8 February 2010

The recent global food crisis brought food security issues to the forefront of the world’s consciousness. The impacts of the crisis have been felt most seriously in third world countries. According to the International Monetary Fund, food prices increased 43 percent between March 2007 and March 2008. While developed countries are often able to mitigate impacts of such crises, developing countries are most affected and take much longer to recover. The poorest populations spend a larger proportion of their income on basic food supplies, making them the most vulnerable to increased prices. A recent US Agency for International Development (USAID) report stated that nearly 1 billion people, approximately one sixth of the world’s population, live on less than $1 per day and, of these, 162 million survive on less than $.50 per day.

In addition to market-driven impacts on food security, many of those at risk rely upon adequate weather conditions for subsistence agricultural activities. Subsistence agriculture, a form of farming where nearly all commodities produced are consumed by farmers and their families, persists in many parts of the world and is especially widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. The combination of high food prices and poor growing season conditions can be devastating for this segment of the world’s population. Therefore, there is a profound need to accurately monitor growing season conditions that impact food security in the developing world. [...]

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Source: earthzine