Putting satellite data in farmers’ hands to improve food security

Harnessing the insights of Earth Observation technologies can help farmers to combat the impact of extreme weather, improving food security worldwide, according to a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leicester.

Fiona Imbali, a PhD student in the School of Geography, Geology, and Environment, is working to encourage farmers in both the Fens area in East Anglia region in the UK and in West Pokot Kenya to take advantage of the data from cutting-edge satellite technology. As part of this, she is proposing new solutions to give access to the data they need to make their farms more resilient to the impact of climate change.

It comes as a delegation of academics from the University of Leicester travels to COP29, the world’s most important climate and sustainability event, in Baku, Azerbaijan to bring their expertise in climate, sustainability and environmental issues to decisionmakers.

Extreme weather conditions have significantly hampered food security strategies globally. For farming communities, extreme weather events have led to reduced agricultural yields, especially for those in Sub-Saharan Africa that largely depend on rain-fed agriculture. The Horn of Africa experiences cyclic droughts and the most recent between 2020-2022 was recorded as the worst drought in 70 years according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Over 20 million people faced food insecurity as the crop yields declined for the third consecutive year, while lack of water and suitable forage led to the deaths of over 9 million livestock.  

The UK is the fifth wealthiest country in the world but is also experiencing rising levels of food insecurity due to extreme weather that has led to crop failures and reduced agricultural productivity. There is a growing concern for household food insecurity which affects approximately 8.4 million people, 10 per cent of the population. 

This study aims to explore how Earth Observation technologies such as remote sensing and satellite monitoring for weather predictions and soil moisture assessments can equip farmers with the necessary data to make informed agricultural decisions. Land surface models provide further evidence on the impacts of extreme weather events on agriculture and the environment. Despite advancements in the technology, there are challenges in getting farmers the data that would be useful to them. 

One of the project's key components is the development of a mobile application that provides farmers with real-time weather data, which empowers them to plan their agricultural activities with greater accuracy. 

Fiona Imbali, PhD student in the University of Leicester School of Geography, Geology, and Environment, said: “Earth Observation technologies provide a strategic solution to enhance better farming practices but require better strategies for communicating with farmers to allay any ethical and environmental fears and improve their adoption. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the importance of working with local communities and respecting their indigenous knowledge for climate governance and this research will be working with indigenous farming communities to develop participatory science communication strategies for the adoption of EO technologies.” 

Climate change presents an urgent global challenge that affects millions, exacerbating food insecurity and threatening livelihoods. The IPCC highlights that human activities are significant contributors to the extreme weather conditions that have seen the last four decades being successively warmer than previous ones since 1859.

A 2024 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted that about 864 million people globally experienced food insecurity in 2023, with Africa being the hardest hit. Over 58 per cent of its population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.

Women play an important role in agriculture globally and especially in Saharan-Africa but continue to face gender inequalities. They have limited access to climate information and resources while technologies designed to assist them in agriculture inadvertently reinforce gender roles and this limits their effective participation. 

Fiona added: “Developers of agricultural technologies rarely consider women’s challenges, and this often hampers technology adoption. This study will engage communities from the onset of the research to understand their challenges, priorities, as well as their socio-cultural perspectives and more so for the women who have always been considered as a homogenous group in order to develop participatory, inclusive communication approaches.” 

Professor Heiko Balzter, who is one of Fiona’s PhD supervisors and attended the COP29 climate conference, said: “Fiona’s PhD research investigates an issue that is crucial for humanity – how farming can be made more resilient to climate change impacts. The world is currently on a path towards around 2.7°C global warming. Current national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to reduce that level. We are seeking to strengthen food security with the help of satellite images. Working with farmers and local communities is key to achieving success in this endeavour.” 

Dr Maria Touri, Fiona’s second supervisor, adds: “Farming communities across the world have a wealth of knowledge that is incredibly valuable for addressing global challenges such as food security and food safety. But lack of inclusive communication with these communities often means this knowledge is wasted. Fiona is committed to engaging with farmers in a participatory and dialogic manner and ensure the co-creation of appropriate technologies.”