NASA: National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationEarth Observatory

Science for a Hungry World

NASA satellite remote sensing data provide the world with essential information that enables government organizations to feed the hungry, policymakers to make informed decisions, and aid organizations to provide relief. This series of videos illustrate the value of the unique perspective gained from space and enforces the need for global agricultural monitoring and accurate forecasting. The six episodes will define the global food system, look at NASA’s role in providing an uninterrupted supply of satellite remote sensing data for agricultural production monitoring, explore the successful partnerships and monitoring tools used to provide an understanding of the global perspective on agriculture, and examine the concepts of land cover and land use change, food security, the availability of water resources, and global agricultural production in a changing climate.

  1. What is the Global Food System?
    What is the Global Food System? September 23, 2009

    Agriculture is more than growing food and fuel and getting it to market. This episode defines the global food system as an interconnected, dynamic, and complex structure.

    transcript, part 1
  2. NASA and its Partners
    NASA and its Partners September 30, 2009

    Satellites can reveal how many fields have been planted and how a crop is growing, providing a way to predict how much of a given commodity will be available at harvest. Governments and aid agencies use this information to help them make informed decisions about food prices, trade, and the possible need for aid long before harvest.

    transcript, part 2
  3. Land Use Change and Agriculture
    Land Use Change and Agriculture October 7, 2009

    NASA remote sensing data is used to measure how much land is used for agriculture and where farms are in relation to population density. This episode explores the transition between native vegetation, farms, and cities. Satellites show where land use changes have been most significant.

    transcript, part 3
  4. Food Security
    Food Security October 21, 2009

    Sponsored by USAID, the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) was designed to help governments and aid agencies assess the need for food aid before a famine develops. This episode describes FEWS NET and looks at how FEWS NET uses NASA data to make decisions on the ground.

    transcript, part 4
  5. Water and Agriculture
    Water and Agriculture October 28, 2009

    Water plays a crucial role in agriculture and food security. This episode shows how the water cycle works and examines the question of how changes in the water cycle could impact agricultural outputs and the role of irrigation.

    transcript, part 5
  6. Climate Change, Agriculture, and NASA
    Climate Change, Agriculture, and NASA

    How will climate change impact agriculture? This episode explores the need for accurate, continuous and accessible data and computer models to track and predict the challenges farmers face as they adjust to a changing climate.

    transcript, part 6

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last updated: November 24, 2009