Cropland covers 1.2 billion hectares of land, approximately 12% of Earth’s surface, and the crops they produce are essential for communities and livelihoods around the globe. But to sustain a growing population while protecting vital natural ecosystems, we need to develop more efficient crop systems that produce more on less land in a sustainable way.

Join this webinar to hear from experts from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Bezos Earth Fund, Land & Carbon Lab and our partners as we discuss the importance of transforming global food systems and the role that geospatial monitoring can play in this.

Hear how the latest advancements in crop mapping will help researchers, policymakers and the agricultural sector understand the costs and benefits of adopting new crop and livestock technologies, estimate the impact of climate change on agriculture, calculate yield gaps, analyze the historical evolution of farming systems and better target agricultural and rural development investments and policies.

Plus, learn about the latest updates to IFPRI’s Spatial Production Allocation Model (SPAM). Now featuring data from 2020, it encompasses 46 crops and crop groups, meticulously collected and mapped to allow researchers, corporations and policymakers to have a spatial view of crop types and yields around the world. You’ll hear directly from the scientists leading this research, including experts from Wageningen University and the University of Minnesota as well as from representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Resources Insitute (WRI), as they discuss how they’re using this new crop data to inform their work.

This webinar will be held in English, with live interpretation into Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Cover image by Pat Whelen/Unsplash