Highlighting Satellite Data Apps for Agriculture on BBC Series

BBC's Follow the Food documentary series examines where our food comes from and how this might change in the near future with new technologies and creative ways of farming. From agricultural supply chains to urban farming to global food security, each episode highlights major challenges in today's agrifood systems, and the industry experts who are coming up with innovative solutions to address them. In the most recent episode titled Future Farms, Harvest Program Director Dr. Inbal Becker-Reshef sits down with botanist James Wong to discuss satellite data applications in support of better informed farming decisions.

Dr. Becker-Reshef describes how satellite data provide an extra layer of information beyond the visible spectrum, with the ability to alert farmers of potential issues in their fields well in advance of a food disaster. NASA's investment in satellite Earth observing systems over the past several decades has propelled agricultural monitoring forward, with recent technological advancements providing advanced capabilities for agricultural monitoring worldwide throughout the growing seasons. Harvest's mission is to enable and advance the adoption of satellite Earth observations by public and private organizations to benefit food security, agriculture, and human and environmental resiliency, with remotely sensed data as a critical component in filling existing data gaps.

The Follow the Food series is produced by BBC in association with Corteva agriscience, visit https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/ to watch the full episode and for more insights from farmers, researchers and industry experts who are working to bolster food security.