Agriculture is undergoing a revolution triggered by the exponentially increasing use of digital technologies and data-driven innovations. The Spatial Data and Analytics (SDA) research theme focuses on the new opportunities arising from recent developments in big data, remote sensing, artificial intelligence to support enhanced monitoring, measurement and management of farming systems for more sustainable food production. Big data has the potential to solve development problems cheaper, faster, and more effective. From food insecurity and malnutrition, to climate change and environmental degradation, big data is already helping accelerate the development of robust responses to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. It is transforming the world of genomics and crop breeding, and revolutionizing disciplines from climate modelling to agronomy. It is helping refine policies and improve lives. Remote-sensed and other big data are transforming approaches to the development of more resilient food systems.

The application space is vast and includes agricultural statistics, crop insurance, crop procurement, land use and land use change, measurement of urbanization, rural finance and much more. The smart, and effective use of data, which defines Spatial Data and Analytics theme, will be one of the most important tools for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Big data represents an unprecedented opportunity to find new ways of reducing hunger and poverty, by applying data-driven solutions to ongoing research for development impact.