FAO earned recognition for helping Zimbabwe use satellites to improve farm data. The United Nations group won the SDG Custodian Agency Prize at the seventh GEO SDG Awards ceremony in Rome. This prize honors groups that use Earth-watching technology to help reach UN development goals. This partnership, along with NASA and the European Space Agency, works with more than 100 countries.
The winning project started in 2023 and built a system that watches crops from space. Zimbabwe uses this system to create official farm reports and prepare for floods and dry spells. FAO has already set up similar projects in 20 other countries. The project made Zimbabwe's first national winter wheat map across 28 districts. This map correctly identifies wheat crops 96 percent of the time.
The project also created the first complete summer crop map for Zimbabwe. Using European satellite data, local experts can track 14 major crops with 77 percent accuracy. The new drought tracking system helps farmers see how dry spells affect their fields. A new farmer registry connects field boundaries with crop information to help government leaders track farm output.
The project trained 25 experts from Zimbabwe's statistics office and other government departments. These experts learned to use space data for farm watching and reports. The country also has new ways to collect data about different crop types. Students from the National University helped map more than 200,000 farm fields across seven districts.
This work matches FAO's mission to use digital tools for better farming and nutrition. The award shows how important space technology has become for modern farming. Countries like Zimbabwe face many climate challenges that threaten food security. Better data systems help farmers prepare for droughts, floods, and other climate problems. This project could serve as a model for other African countries.
The winning project started in 2023 and built a system that watches crops from space. Zimbabwe uses this system to create official farm reports and prepare for floods and dry spells. FAO has already set up similar projects in 20 other countries. The project made Zimbabwe's first national winter wheat map across 28 districts. This map correctly identifies wheat crops 96 percent of the time.
The project also created the first complete summer crop map for Zimbabwe. Using European satellite data, local experts can track 14 major crops with 77 percent accuracy. The new drought tracking system helps farmers see how dry spells affect their fields. A new farmer registry connects field boundaries with crop information to help government leaders track farm output.
The project trained 25 experts from Zimbabwe's statistics office and other government departments. These experts learned to use space data for farm watching and reports. The country also has new ways to collect data about different crop types. Students from the National University helped map more than 200,000 farm fields across seven districts.
This work matches FAO's mission to use digital tools for better farming and nutrition. The award shows how important space technology has become for modern farming. Countries like Zimbabwe face many climate challenges that threaten food security. Better data systems help farmers prepare for droughts, floods, and other climate problems. This project could serve as a model for other African countries.
