Food Security

"The fact that a place is able to produce or obtain enough food to feed its population"
"The fact that a person or family is able to get enough food"
"A situation in which enough food is produced and available for everyone in a group, country, etc. to have enough to eat"
 

Sources

Cambridge Dictionary, s.v. "food security", accessed April 14, 2021, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/food-security
 

Related Content

Article

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information System, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan discussed his extensive work in addressing water-related challenges through the nexus between smart sensing and space technologies. His thematic focus spans water scarcity, food security, climate risks, and environmental monitoring with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, including Pakistan and China. Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guiding his work include SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).  Abbas's passion for water emerged during his early career at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he was involved in Pakistan’s Wetland Program and witnessed the impact of water on associated ecosystems. This sparked his interest in understanding and managing water, forestry, and wildlife resources. He recently studied coastal ecosystems and their responses to climate and anthropogenic stressors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Living Indus – Investing in Ecological Restoration has become a new focus of interest for him, addressing sustainability challenges related to food security, river basin management, and efficient water use in alignment with the UN Decade of Ocean objectives.  Abbas shared his fascination with water, recognizing its complex and essential nature. He is captivated by its beauty in all forms and acknowledges its fundamental importance for life on Earth. This water connection further motivates his commitment to addressing global water challenges and promoting sustainable water use through innovative solutions.  Sawaid Abbas's work, stimulated by both professional commitment and personal fascination, stresses the critical role of space technologies, particularly earth observation, smart sensing nexus, and artificial intelligence in addressing water-related challenges. His research contributes to the development of innovative solutions for sustainable water use, environmental protection, and disaster response, aligning with global goals for a more resilient and water-secure future. 

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information System, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan discussed his extensive work in addressing water-related challenges through the nexus between smart sensing and space technologies. His thematic focus spans water scarcity, food security, climate risks, and environmental monitoring with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, including Pakistan and China. Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guiding his work include SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).  Abbas's passion for water emerged during his early career at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he was involved in Pakistan’s Wetland Program and witnessed the impact of water on associated ecosystems. This sparked his interest in understanding and managing water, forestry, and wildlife resources. He recently studied coastal ecosystems and their responses to climate and anthropogenic stressors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Living Indus – Investing in Ecological Restoration has become a new focus of interest for him, addressing sustainability challenges related to food security, river basin management, and efficient water use in alignment with the UN Decade of Ocean objectives.  Abbas shared his fascination with water, recognizing its complex and essential nature. He is captivated by its beauty in all forms and acknowledges its fundamental importance for life on Earth. This water connection further motivates his commitment to addressing global water challenges and promoting sustainable water use through innovative solutions.  Sawaid Abbas's work, stimulated by both professional commitment and personal fascination, stresses the critical role of space technologies, particularly earth observation, smart sensing nexus, and artificial intelligence in addressing water-related challenges. His research contributes to the development of innovative solutions for sustainable water use, environmental protection, and disaster response, aligning with global goals for a more resilient and water-secure future. 

Capacity Building and Training Material

ARSET - Agricultural crop classification with synthetic aperture radar and optical remote sensing

Overview

For years, mapping of crop types and assessment of their characteristics has been carried out to monitor food security, inform optimal use of the landscape, and contribute to agricultural policy. High-quality crop mapping has become a requirement for most nations given its importance in national and international economics, trade, and food security, and is a major topic of interest in the domains of policy, economics, and land management.

Digital Earth Africa: Agriculture and Food Security

Digital Earth Africa learning platform

This learning platform helps users understand the significance of Earth observations, explore Digital Earth Africa datasets through an interactive map, and get started on the basics of python coding for spatial analysis.

Digital Earth Africa makes Earth observation (EO) data readily available, delivering decision-ready products to the African continent. Data generated by Digital Earth Africa will provide valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including resource management, food security and urbanisation.

ARSET - Crop mapping using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical remote sensing

Overview

Monitoring crop growth is important for assessing food production, enabling optimal use of the landscape, and contributing to agricultural policy. Remote sensing methods based on optical and/or radar sensors have become an important means of extracting information related to crops. Optical data is related to the chemical properties of the vegetation, while radar data is related to vegetation structure and moisture. Radar can also image the Earth’s surface regardless of almost any type of weather condition.

ARSET - Mapping crops and their biophysical characteristics with polarimetric SAR and optical remote sensing

Overview

Mapping crop types and assessing their characteristics is critical for monitoring food production, enabling optimal use of the landscape, and contributing to agricultural policy. Remote sensing methods based on optical and/or microwave sensors have become an important means of extracting information related to crops. Optical data is related to the chemical properties of the vegetation, while radar data is related to vegetation structure and moisture. Radar can also image the Earth’s surface regardless of almost any type of weather condition.

Event

Local Perspectives Case Studies

Integrated water resource management for sustainable agriculture: data-driven approaches to optimize crop patterns and water use in Pakistan

Image of dry landscape and solar panels in the distance
The environmental impacts of irrigated agriculture, which demands between 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of rice, are profound. Considering that 35 per cent of Pakistan’s freshwater is used for rice cultivation, often for crops destined for export, the need for a strategic realignment of water use priorities is evident. Current practices often treat water as an unlimited resource, a perspective that is unsustainable in the face of increasing domestic and international demands for food. The urgent need for systemic change is clear: only through the adoption of innovative technologies and the integration of up-to-date environmental data can Pakistan hope to meet the Zero Hunger (SDG 2) goal and achieve sustainable development. This project proposes using advanced remote sensing and land use modelling to effectively quantify agricultural land use practices and their changes over time. This integrated assessment framework is vital for building resilience against future climate extremes and for ensuring sustainable agricultural practices that align with societal and environmental priorities. By bridging the gap between current practices and agro-ecological suitability, this project aims to achieve a sustainable, food-secure future for Pakistan. We aim to interact with multiple stakeholders and agencies with diverse expertise to support data-driven approaches for sustainable water and crop management. Our goal is to build a network of professionals and researchers, facilitate knowledge and technology sharing, and contribute geospatial and analytical solutions to address the challenge.

Stakeholder

National Space Research and Development Agency

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is the government agency of Nigeria responsible for space science, technology and applications. Established in 1999, NASRDA oversees the country's space programs, including satellite development, remote sensing and geospatial applications for national development. The agency operates satellites like NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-2, NigeriaSat-X and NigComSat-1R, which support disaster management, environmental monitoring and communication services.

United Nations World Food Programme

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an independent, international research institute with National Member Organizations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Through its research programs and initiatives, the institute conducts policy-oriented research into issues that are too large or complex to be solved by a single country or academic discipline. This includes pressing concerns that affect the future of all of humanity, such as climate change, energy security, population aging, and sustainable development.

UK Space Agency - International Partnership Programme

The UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP) is an award-winning >£150 million space for sustainable development initiative which utilises the UK space sector’s capabilities in satellite technology and data services to deliver measurable and sustainable economic, societal and/or environmental benefits in partnership with developing countries.

University of Twente - Faculty ITC

The Faculty ITC of the University of Twente is among the world's top ten institutes for academic education, scientific research and technology development in Earth Observation and Geo-information. ITC staff is engaged in building capacity in the fields of food/water security & agriculture, energy transition, geo-health, climate change adaptation, urban development and smart cities, disaster risk reduction, and land administration.

Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission

Realizing the importance of Space Science and Technology applications for sustainable national development, the Government of Pakistan established Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission. Being the National Space Agency of Pakistan, SUPARCO is mandated to conduct research and development work in the field of space science, technology and its applications for peaceful purposes and socio-economic uplift of country. Its headquarter is located at Islamabad and technical facilities are spread over Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Quetta, Peshawar and Gilgit.

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