Observing

Observation basically means watching something and taking note of anything it does. For instance, you might observe a bird flying by watching it closely. The sciences of biology and astronomy have their historical basis in observations by amateurs, therefore Agricultural data is often much enhanced by focused observation.

How and What to Observe?

Observation is one of the most important aspects of collecting Agricultural Data. It is a skill developed through dedicated action and meticulous methodology.

Observation for Feeding 10 Billion People

The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates the number of undernourished people in the world at over 840 million - mostly living in developing countries of the Asian-Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa regions. Above all other goals that are the focus of international cooperation among countries, the eradication of famine might be considered to be the most universally supported.

The United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted by the world’s leaders at the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, captured the aspirations of the international community for the new century. It spoke of a world united by common values and striving with renewed determination to achieve decent standards of living for every man, woman and child. The first of the eight agreed ‘Millennium Development Goals is to “Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” - with the specific target of reducing by half the number of undernourished people by 2015.

Information Needs

Global agricultural production systems must be enhanced, well maintained, and reliable if we are to routinely meet the food requirements of the Earth’s projected 10 billion inhabitants beyond 2050. Sustainable development practices, consistent with the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, are seen as the key. Such practices require a broad range of information on all scales. Parameters of importance include:

• Crop yield, land degradation, and desertification
• Land-cover, land-use, and vegetation state
• Prevention of soil erosion by means of different methodologies e.g. no-tillage concepts
• Soil characteristics such as fertility and moisture levels
• Freshwater availability including from rainfall, fluxes in small water bodies, and groundwater resources
• Total irrigated area
• Population distribution, production intensity, and food provision.

This data is required at various (from local to global) scales and requires the fusion of multiple datasets quantifying both the physical state of the land and socio-economic parameters. Such information will help provide food producers with:

• Information on changes in land usage and productivity,
• Improved market supply and demand forecasts, and
• Seasonal and inter-annual action plans - taking account of seasonal forecasts and predictions of major climatic events such as El Niño.