Food and Agriculture

From soil conditions to crop productivity, satellite data help inform farmers, scientists, and decision-makers in the U.S. and around the world.
Severe Drought in Southern Africa
Image

Severe Drought in Southern Africa

One of the driest growing seasons in decades has decimated crops and left millions hungry.

Published Apr 22, 2024

Image of the Day Land Water Drought

El Niño Forecast to Contribute to Food Insecurity
Image

El Niño Forecast to Contribute to Food Insecurity

Shifting rainfall patterns are projected to leave millions of people without consistent access to food in late 2023 and early 2024.

Published Oct 30, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water

Karamoja Beset with Drought
Image

Karamoja Beset with Drought

Poor harvests stemming from a prolonged dry spell have exacerbated food insecurity in northeastern Uganda.

Published Oct 23, 2023

Image of the Day Land

Canals in Ukraine are Drying Up
Image

Canals in Ukraine are Drying Up

After the breach of Kakhovka Dam and the flood that ensued, farmers in the area are coping with depleted water supplies.

Published Jul 27, 2023

Image of the Day Water

A Rough Harvest for Kansas Wheat
Image

A Rough Harvest for Kansas Wheat

Prolonged drought in Kansas set the stage for what may be one of the state’s smallest wheat harvests in decades.

Published Jun 22, 2023

Image of the Day Land Water Drought

Flooded Rice Fields in Louisiana
Image

Flooded Rice Fields in Louisiana

The low-lying alluvial plain of the Mississippi River Valley is home to much of the nation’s rice farms.

Published Mar 10, 2023

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Midwest Farmers Using Cover Crops Take Small Yield Hit
Image

Midwest Farmers Using Cover Crops Take Small Yield Hit

Although cover crops have significant environmental benefits, researchers found that they hinder yields on corn and soybean fields.

Published Jan 26, 2023

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Worst Drought on Record Parches Horn of Africa
Image

Worst Drought on Record Parches Horn of Africa

The most severe drought in 70 years of record keeping threatens the Horn of Africa with famine.

Published Dec 13, 2022

Image of the Day Land Water Drought

Larger Wheat Harvest in Ukraine Than Expected
Image

Larger Wheat Harvest in Ukraine Than Expected

A satellite-based analysis indicates that nearly 27 million tons of wheat were harvested from the country’s farms this year, but Ukraine won’t reap all of the benefits.

Published Dec 2, 2022

Image of the Day Land Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Cranberry Bogs in Plymouth County
Image

Cranberry Bogs in Plymouth County

Massachusetts has a long-standing relationship with one of Thanksgiving’s iconic foods—the cranberry.

Published Nov 24, 2022

Image of the Day Land Water Human Presence

From Patches to Pies, Illinois Knows Pumpkins
Image

From Patches to Pies, Illinois Knows Pumpkins

Much of the canned pumpkin that ends up in Thanksgiving pies and soups came from Central Illinois. 

Published Nov 25, 2022

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Idaho’s Potato Belt
Image

Idaho’s Potato Belt

Almost one-third of American potatoes are grown in the Snake River Plain, a belt of low-lying land in the southern part of the state.

Published Nov 23, 2022

Image of the Day Land

Another Lean Season in the Grand Sud
Image

Another Lean Season in the Grand Sud

Persistent drought in southern Madagascar is fueling food shortages in the arid region.

Published Oct 11, 2022

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

A Rough Year for Rice in California
Image

A Rough Year for Rice in California

The ongoing drought has cut rice acreage in the Sacramento Valley in half.

Published Oct 3, 2022

Image of the Day Heat Land Water Human Presence Remote Sensing

Deep Concern About Food Security in Eastern Africa
Image

Deep Concern About Food Security in Eastern Africa

The Horn of Africa is facing drought and crop failures after four inadequate rainy seasons.

Published Aug 16, 2022

Image of the Day Land Floods Severe Storms Human Presence Landslides

Tracking Deluge and Drought through Soil Moisture
Image

Tracking Deluge and Drought through Soil Moisture

From soaked to dry, the variable state of U.S. soils has implications for farmers and crop production.

Published Jul 29, 2022

Image of the Day Land Remote Sensing Videos

Measuring War’s Effect on a Global Breadbasket
Image

Measuring War’s Effect on a Global Breadbasket

NASA Harvest researchers are using satellite observations and economic data to track how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is disrupting the global food system.

Published Jun 29, 2022

Image of the Day Land Unique Imagery Human Presence Remote Sensing

Global Croplands Expand
Image

Global Croplands Expand

Over the past two decades, global croplands expanded by 9 percent, with differing expressions on different continents.

Published Mar 24, 2022

Image of the Day Human Presence

Not So Green Houses
Image

Not So Green Houses

The use of plastic on farms has become so common in recent decades that there there’s a term for it—plasticulture.

Published Mar 13, 2022

Image of the Day Human Presence

Lasering In on Corn Fields
Image

Lasering In on Corn Fields

An instrument designed to measure tree height can also distinguish corn from other crops.

Published Mar 7, 2022

Image of the Day Land Remote Sensing

Failed Rainy Seasons Create Food Emergency in Eastern Africa
Image

Failed Rainy Seasons Create Food Emergency in Eastern Africa

More than 20 million people in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia now face some of the worst food security risks in 35 years.

Published Jan 7, 2022

Image of the Day Heat Land Water Human Presence Remote Sensing

Falling For Corn
Image

Falling For Corn

More than one third of the world’s maize (corn) crop is grown in the United States, and the largest share comes from a swath of land across the Midwest.

Published Nov 4, 2021

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Sizing Up How Agriculture Connects to Deforestation
Image

Sizing Up How Agriculture Connects to Deforestation

Using satellite data from the past two decades, scientists are starting to pinpoint which crops and farming styles have lasting impacts on forests.

Published Aug 11, 2021

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

Western Soils and Plants are Parched
Image

Western Soils and Plants are Parched

For the second year in a row, drought has overtaken much of the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast.

Published Jun 11, 2021

Image of the Day Land Water Drought Remote Sensing

Fine-Tuning Irrigation in Asia
Image

Fine-Tuning Irrigation in Asia

Scientists harness satellite data to help farmers use less water in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Published Apr 21, 2021

Image of the Day Water Remote Sensing

Smoking Sugar Fields in South Florida
Image

Smoking Sugar Fields in South Florida

Seasonal crop fires are a staple of the sugar harvest, but the smoke might have health effects.

Published Feb 5, 2021

Image of the Day Land Human Presence

NASA Data Aid Food Security Assessments in Kenya
Image

NASA Data Aid Food Security Assessments in Kenya

Cropland masks and other environmental data can help agriculture agencies pinpoint where support is most needed.

Published Jan 25, 2021

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Romania’s Patchwork of Farm Fields
Image

Romania’s Patchwork of Farm Fields

Farms in the historic Oltenia province display a compelling array of shapes and sizes.

Published Oct 14, 2020

Image of the Day Land Human Presence Remote Sensing

Derecho Flattens Iowa Corn
Image

Derecho Flattens Iowa Corn

A line of thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds caused widespread damage to crops.

Published Aug 20, 2020

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Life Severe Storms Human Presence

Faint Glow, Clear Signal from Plants
Image

Faint Glow, Clear Signal from Plants

As scientists detect plant fluorescence in better detail, they inch closer to helping farmers respond to extreme weather and close in on understanding how carbon cycles through ecosystems.

Published Jul 10, 2020

Image of the Day Atmosphere Land Life Water Remote Sensing