Bridging Nations through Earth Observation: Exploring AgTech Collaborations with Chile's CIREN and NASA

On August 9, 2023, Inbal Becker-Reshef and Chris Justice held a productive meeting with a delegation from Chile's Natural Resources Information Center (CIREN) to explore the applications of Earth Observation (EO) technology in agriculture. The meeting brought together key individuals, including Katherine Araya, the Executive Director of CIREN, Noelia Tastets Torres, CIREN's Strategic Production and Development Manager, Juan Pablo Espinoza from the Embassy of Chile serving as Deputy Chief of Mission, Andrés Rodriguez, the Embassy of Chile's Agricultural Attaché to the United States and Canada, and Fernando Vásquez, the Agricultural Office Information Officer from the Embassy of Chile.

CIREN -- situated in Santiago, Chile, and operating under the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture -- is a technological institute tasked with managing information related to the nation's natural resources. They achieve this through the utilization of information technologies and geospatial applications, making this valuable data accessible and actionable for decision-makers in forestry, agriculture, public institutions, academia, and both public and private development organizations.

During the meeting, Becker-Reshef represented the NASA Harvest consortium alongside NASA’s Agriculture Program Manager, Brad Doorn (NASA Headquarters). Allison Leidner represented the NASA Climate Applications Program, and Nancy Searby represented NASA's Capacity Building Program. The discussions encompassed CIREN's interests and explored potential avenues of cooperation with NASA, including the prospect of involvement in the NASA DEVELOP program.