04.03.2025
Press Release
Currently, few agricultural operations have access to high-resolution commercial satellite imagery. Researchers are calling for this data to be made more accessible to advance both research on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and agricultural practices. More precise Earth observation data could not only improve scientific analysis, but also help farmers better assess climate risks and manage their fields more efficiently. In a recent publication in PNAS, researchers explain that smallholder farmers in particular could benefit from access to more accurate data. The Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) contributed to the study.
Earth observation satellites provide valuable data for research by cost-effectively capturing large-scale changes in land use, soil moisture and carbon storage. This knowledge is essential for analyzing the effects of climate change and developing sustainable agricultural practices.
Satellite imagery is also becoming increasingly important in agricultural practice. Farmers are already using them to optimize field management, such as more precise application of fertilizer or early detection of drought stress. In the future, integrating this data with artificial intelligence could enable even more targeted recommendations for fertilization and irrigation.
"For sustainable agriculture, we need more accurate data on crop yields, soil quality, and climate risks," said Dr. Esther Shupel Ibrahim of ZALF, one of the study's co-authors. "Unfortunately, commercial satellite imagery is often expensive or difficult to access."
Closing the data gap - supporting smallholder farmers
High-resolution satellite data is collected primarily by private companies such as Maxar Technologies, Planet Labs, and Airbus Defence and Space. Their satellites provide images with resolutions down to 30 cm, but access is typically limited by cost. In contrast, public programs such as Landsat (NASA/USGS) and Copernicus Sentinel (ESA) provide freely available Earth observation data, albeit at lower spatial resolution.
While large farms can afford to purchase commercial data for precision agriculture, smaller farms often face barriers to access. Opening up these archives could help bridge this gap, allowing all farmers to benefit from modern technology.
Open Data for Better Decisions
The study highlights that 84% of the UN Sustainable Development Goals remain unmet. This is particularly concerning for Goal 2: Zero Hunger, which addresses global malnutrition and food security. Many smallholder farms around the world are experiencing stagnant or even declining productivity. Improved access to data could support better farming practices and reduce crop losses.
Free access to high-resolution satellite imagery could significantly advance research while directly benefiting farmers. More accurate information on soil moisture, plant health, and drought risk could help increase yields and minimize losses.
"Sustainable agriculture starts with knowledge," says Dr. Esther Shupel Ibrahim. "If we have the right data, we can take more targeted action to protect the climate and the environment."
Project Partners:
- Université catholique de Louvain
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
- University of Zurich
- NASA Ames Research Center
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- Humboldt Universität zuBerlin
Further Information:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2410246122
Text Disclaimer:
This is an AI-assisted summary of the original text: Rufin, P., Meyfroidt, P., Akinyemi, F. O., Estes, L., Ibrahim, E. S., Jaini, M., Kerner, H., Lisboa, S. N., Lobell, D., Nakalembe, C., Persello, C., Picoli, M. C. A., Ribeiro, N., Sitoe, A. A., Waha, K. & Wang, S. (2025). To enhance sustainable development goal research, open up commercial satellite image archives. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 122(7), e2410246122.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2410246122. Published Open Access under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
