Do these deep-space food solutions sound like science fiction? You might be right – we are not quite there yet, but farming on Earth is already an extremely complex practice: a beehive of innovation and a repository of centuries-old knowledge and local traditions. 

Agriculture still depends largely on weather, soil and water availability conditions. It demands that in the age of climate change we are making it both sustainable, ethical and efficient to fend off the existential challenges to food insecurities in the years to come.

Modern farming is a high-tech industry. Before your daily carrot makes the journey from the farm to your table, it has to overcome numerous obstacles such as resisting torrential rains, surviving deadly heat waves, and resisting pest infestations. To ensure that the produce reaches consumers, farmers rely on their experiential knowledge handed down from generation to generation, as well as the use of the most advanced satellite technologies to manage their agricultural production, paving the way for “smart agriculture”.

Earth observation data is already recognized as the most valuable asset for this emerging digital approach to the ancient industry. Perhaps it can also play a role in understanding and rethinking our relationship with food. During Farm-to-Table track, organised as part of the Direction Earth/Space Creative Campus, participants experiment with the local food ecosystem, and developed ideas that demonstrate new ways of combining the latest science with real farming experience!

How to find new ways of combining traditional knowledge of the farming industry with latest technologies, particularly the ones using Earth observation data?
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What tools, technologies and services could support efficient cooperation and communication between scientists, farmers and food engineers?

How to provide tools based on EO data for individual farmers and large organisations?

What solutions could support broad education about smart and sustainable farming?

Concept of technological, entrepreneurial or social innovation in food production based on EO data.