Food Security and Crop Mapping: Building a Better Picture of Global Cropland

The ESA WorldCereal project plays an important role in food security. Its global crop maps and processing tools provide cricital insights for agriculture policy decision-making. Discover how in this interactive, animated web story.

17/11/2025

The Uncertainty of Global Food Security

Global food security is under pressure. The war in Ukraine, climate change, and speculation on grain markets result in rising prices and unpredictable harvests. The European Space Agency (ESA) commissioned an interactive story that explains the intricacies of global food production, price volatility, and how Earth observation (EO) can offer policymakers accurate insights to ensure global food security.

Crop Mapping and Processing Tools

With the help of satellite imagery, in-situ data, and machine learning, the ESA-funded WorldCereal system supports more efficient and resilient agricultural policies worldwide. Comprehensive insights into cropland areas, crop type distributions, growth periods, and irrigation practices are steps towards being able to estimate yields and establish early warning systems for food security. In the meantime, global crop mapping based on Earth observation provides data and transparency to mitigate food speculation and contribute to market stability, safeguarding vulnerable populations from hunger and ensuring a more secure future for global agriculture.

Visualising Food Security and Crop Mapping

Read the full interactive story and discover how today’s maps can secure tomorrow’s produce:

DIVE INTO THE STORY

 

A visualisation of the four crops that provide most of the essential nutrients in the human diet worldwide.