1
00:00:06,869 --> 00:00:04,550
we use satellite data to track

2
00:00:09,270 --> 00:00:06,879
[Music]

3
00:00:11,509 --> 00:00:09,280
hello my name is jocelyn argeta and this

4
00:00:14,150 --> 00:00:11,519
is snack time with nasa today we're

5
00:00:16,390 --> 00:00:14,160
making a big favorite in my house chips

6
00:00:18,230 --> 00:00:16,400
and dip we are nasa though so this isn't

7
00:00:21,670 --> 00:00:18,240
going to be your run-of-the-mill dip

8
00:00:23,590 --> 00:00:21,680
this will be a seven-layer cropland tip

9
00:00:25,830 --> 00:00:23,600
stick with me here did you know that

10
00:00:28,790 --> 00:00:25,840
nasa plays a big part in the food you

11
00:00:31,509 --> 00:00:28,800
eat we use data from space to monitor

12
00:00:34,229 --> 00:00:31,519
agriculture and track food security

13
00:00:37,270 --> 00:00:34,239
so coincidentally we have some of the

14
00:00:40,389 --> 00:00:37,280
crops that we keep an eye on get it now

15
00:00:42,630 --> 00:00:40,399
seven layer cropland dip so we can send

16
00:00:44,790 --> 00:00:42,640
a rover to mars but now the question is

17
00:00:46,790 --> 00:00:44,800
can we make a tasty dip but before we

18
00:00:48,950 --> 00:00:46,800
get started i want to welcome dr

19
00:00:51,270 --> 00:00:48,960
involved becker rasheff who's here to

20
00:00:53,029 --> 00:00:51,280
tell us all about nasa's connection to

21
00:00:55,189 --> 00:00:53,039
the food we eat

22
00:00:58,310 --> 00:00:55,199
hi involved how are you doing today

23
00:01:00,069 --> 00:00:58,320
hi jocelyn great how are you awesome

24
00:01:03,189 --> 00:01:00,079
it's great to have you so first things

25
00:01:06,789 --> 00:01:03,199
first are you a fan of chips and dip

26
00:01:09,670 --> 00:01:06,799
i love chips and dip yes oh good good

27
00:01:12,789 --> 00:01:09,680
good to hear so as the director of

28
00:01:14,310 --> 00:01:12,799
nasa's agriculture and food security

29
00:01:16,950 --> 00:01:14,320
program can you tell us a little bit

30
00:01:18,950 --> 00:01:16,960
about why nasa studies agriculture in

31
00:01:21,510 --> 00:01:18,960
the first place when we're known more

32
00:01:23,429 --> 00:01:21,520
for space exploration than cooking

33
00:01:26,550 --> 00:01:23,439
as we all know

34
00:01:28,469 --> 00:01:26,560
our planet earth is also a planet and so

35
00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:28,479
nasa has satellites that are pointing

36
00:01:32,230 --> 00:01:30,240
out into space but it also has a lot of

37
00:01:33,749 --> 00:01:32,240
earth observing satellites pointing here

38
00:01:35,510 --> 00:01:33,759
down at earth and of course that's

39
00:01:37,350 --> 00:01:35,520
really critical because we live here and

40
00:01:39,270 --> 00:01:37,360
that's important for us to track and

41
00:01:41,109 --> 00:01:39,280
understand how we're changing our planet

42
00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:41,119
how our planet is responding and in

43
00:01:44,389 --> 00:01:42,320
particular

44
00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:44,399
tracking agriculture which is what we're

45
00:01:48,950 --> 00:01:46,720
concerned with here food security and

46
00:01:51,350 --> 00:01:48,960
agriculture are one of the biggest

47
00:01:53,670 --> 00:01:51,360
challenges we face in in this century

48
00:01:55,830 --> 00:01:53,680
and nasa's satellite data since actually

49
00:01:57,510 --> 00:01:55,840
going back to early days of satellite

50
00:01:59,590 --> 00:01:57,520
monitoring there has always been a large

51
00:02:02,310 --> 00:01:59,600
focus on agriculture agriculture covers

52
00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:02,320
a huge part of our land system and what

53
00:02:06,469 --> 00:02:04,320
that does is that helps us to get an

54
00:02:09,430 --> 00:02:06,479
accurate and a timely understanding of

55
00:02:11,910 --> 00:02:09,440
potential shortfalls or surplus of crops

56
00:02:13,910 --> 00:02:11,920
and fruit production around the world

57
00:02:15,750 --> 00:02:13,920
so it sounds like everything is

58
00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:15,760
connected much like different

59
00:02:19,750 --> 00:02:17,680
ingredients in a larger dish and i've

60
00:02:23,350 --> 00:02:19,760
just laid down the first layer here of

61
00:02:24,150 --> 00:02:23,360
our dip which are refried black beans

62
00:02:25,910 --> 00:02:24,160
and

63
00:02:27,750 --> 00:02:25,920
sounds like earth observations work in a

64
00:02:30,070 --> 00:02:27,760
similar way where things connect

65
00:02:32,710 --> 00:02:30,080
together so how do these observations

66
00:02:34,869 --> 00:02:32,720
help us better understand food security

67
00:02:36,390 --> 00:02:34,879
and food production especially in the

68
00:02:38,390 --> 00:02:36,400
face of climate change

69
00:02:40,550 --> 00:02:38,400
as we said food security is one of the

70
00:02:43,110 --> 00:02:40,560
most important and critical challenges

71
00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:43,120
that that we face um and so therefore

72
00:02:47,270 --> 00:02:45,680
having information about where food is

73
00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:47,280
being grown how much of it is being

74
00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:50,080
grown um how it's changing over time how

75
00:02:53,589 --> 00:02:51,760
it responds to different climatic

76
00:02:55,270 --> 00:02:53,599
factors to extreme weather events which

77
00:02:56,550 --> 00:02:55,280
of course as as you've said under

78
00:02:58,070 --> 00:02:56,560
climate change and a warming climate

79
00:03:00,869 --> 00:02:58,080
we're seeing more and more erratic

80
00:03:03,589 --> 00:03:00,879
weather impacting our food production

81
00:03:06,630 --> 00:03:03,599
and so we have various satellites

82
00:03:08,309 --> 00:03:06,640
going up above and and turning around us

83
00:03:10,470 --> 00:03:08,319
all the time that are helping to monitor

84
00:03:12,710 --> 00:03:10,480
different aspects of the agriculture of

85
00:03:14,309 --> 00:03:12,720
our agricultural system and whether it

86
00:03:16,149 --> 00:03:14,319
is for helping us to distinguish where

87
00:03:18,390 --> 00:03:16,159
for example corn is being grown around

88
00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:18,400
the world how it's developing how it

89
00:03:22,309 --> 00:03:20,640
compares this year versus last year for

90
00:03:23,990 --> 00:03:22,319
example in the corn belt in the united

91
00:03:26,710 --> 00:03:24,000
states and so being able to provide us

92
00:03:28,710 --> 00:03:26,720
that information in a timely manner at a

93
00:03:31,030 --> 00:03:28,720
global scale

94
00:03:33,190 --> 00:03:31,040
is really critical for understanding and

95
00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:33,200
making decisions relevant both for food

96
00:03:38,229 --> 00:03:36,000
security and for sustainability and we

97
00:03:41,270 --> 00:03:38,239
do have corn here as one of our layers

98
00:03:43,830 --> 00:03:41,280
we also have rice we have avocado and

99
00:03:46,550 --> 00:03:43,840
the guacamole can we see any of these

100
00:03:48,710 --> 00:03:46,560
staple foods being grown in the u.s

101
00:03:49,430 --> 00:03:48,720
absolutely and that's a large focus both

102
00:03:52,309 --> 00:03:49,440
of

103
00:03:54,390 --> 00:03:52,319
usda for example and that nasa has

104
00:03:55,670 --> 00:03:54,400
partnered with very closely for many

105
00:03:57,830 --> 00:03:55,680
years now

106
00:04:00,550 --> 00:03:57,840
and what they're focused on is is

107
00:04:03,670 --> 00:04:00,560
utilizing satellite data for being able

108
00:04:05,589 --> 00:04:03,680
to monitor the extent of crops of where

109
00:04:07,750 --> 00:04:05,599
corn is being grown versus soybeans

110
00:04:09,509 --> 00:04:07,760
versus wheat and as we know if a farmer

111
00:04:11,110 --> 00:04:09,519
plans corn this year he might plant

112
00:04:13,429 --> 00:04:11,120
soybeans the next year so it's very

113
00:04:16,069 --> 00:04:13,439
important in the u.s and usda has a

114
00:04:18,710 --> 00:04:16,079
large focus on that but also given that

115
00:04:20,870 --> 00:04:18,720
our food system is so interconnected um

116
00:04:24,230 --> 00:04:20,880
being able to monitor both inside the us

117
00:04:26,790 --> 00:04:24,240
and globally um and satellites enable us

118
00:04:29,189 --> 00:04:26,800
to do that so you monitor crops all over

119
00:04:32,230 --> 00:04:29,199
the world but who ends up using this

120
00:04:34,469 --> 00:04:32,240
data and how exactly does it help is it

121
00:04:36,390 --> 00:04:34,479
whole governments that rely on it or do

122
00:04:37,430 --> 00:04:36,400
small-scale farmers and land managers

123
00:04:39,110 --> 00:04:37,440
use it

124
00:04:40,550 --> 00:04:39,120
that's a great question and in fact it's

125
00:04:42,950 --> 00:04:40,560
it's everybody

126
00:04:44,469 --> 00:04:42,960
it's ministries of agriculture it's uh

127
00:04:46,469 --> 00:04:44,479
statistical departments who are trying

128
00:04:49,189 --> 00:04:46,479
to estimate how much production they're

129
00:04:50,469 --> 00:04:49,199
going to have of different crops it's um

130
00:04:52,230 --> 00:04:50,479
the early warning community the

131
00:04:54,070 --> 00:04:52,240
humanitarian community who are trying to

132
00:04:56,070 --> 00:04:54,080
assess where they're going to be food

133
00:04:58,070 --> 00:04:56,080
shortages and where there will need to

134
00:04:59,909 --> 00:04:58,080
be either food aid or other mitigation

135
00:05:02,150 --> 00:04:59,919
activities and it's of course also

136
00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:02,160
farmers um and

137
00:05:07,430 --> 00:05:04,800
one example is is the the crop monitor

138
00:05:09,189 --> 00:05:07,440
program under geoglam this provides

139
00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:09,199
information at the global scale on a

140
00:05:13,990 --> 00:05:10,960
monthly basis operationally really

141
00:05:15,749 --> 00:05:14,000
targeted more at policy makers who need

142
00:05:17,990 --> 00:05:15,759
to have a very quick way of

143
00:05:19,990 --> 00:05:18,000
understanding what are global crop uh

144
00:05:21,670 --> 00:05:20,000
conditions and so we've been working

145
00:05:24,390 --> 00:05:21,680
with that policy community for a long

146
00:05:26,550 --> 00:05:24,400
time to develop products um that provide

147
00:05:28,950 --> 00:05:26,560
us a good global picture of crop

148
00:05:30,070 --> 00:05:28,960
conditions and food supplies across the

149
00:05:32,070 --> 00:05:30,080
world

150
00:05:34,550 --> 00:05:32,080
so our dips moving along here we have

151
00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:34,560
corn next and it sounds like a lot of

152
00:05:38,150 --> 00:05:36,160
the information you've talked about

153
00:05:39,909 --> 00:05:38,160
could help forecast events like food

154
00:05:42,390 --> 00:05:39,919
shortages is that right

155
00:05:44,469 --> 00:05:42,400
yeah that's absolutely right and so what

156
00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:44,479
we try to do is use the satellite data

157
00:05:47,749 --> 00:05:46,160
to give us an early warning as soon as

158
00:05:49,270 --> 00:05:47,759
possible and really we start to monitor

159
00:05:50,950 --> 00:05:49,280
crops as soon as they're in the ground

160
00:05:53,110 --> 00:05:50,960
and growing

161
00:05:55,350 --> 00:05:53,120
and try to put an alert as early as

162
00:05:58,629 --> 00:05:55,360
possible if we start to see for example

163
00:06:00,309 --> 00:05:58,639
the impacts of of a drought developing

164
00:06:01,670 --> 00:06:00,319
and track that through the season and

165
00:06:04,390 --> 00:06:01,680
this information

166
00:06:06,950 --> 00:06:04,400
as early as possible is really critical

167
00:06:09,350 --> 00:06:06,960
for policy makers for governments to be

168
00:06:11,670 --> 00:06:09,360
able to take mitigation actions to

169
00:06:13,990 --> 00:06:11,680
prevent food shortages or to prevent the

170
00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:14,000
biggest impacts of food shortages and

171
00:06:17,430 --> 00:06:15,840
implement mitigation strategies well

172
00:06:20,550 --> 00:06:17,440
ahead of time

173
00:06:22,629 --> 00:06:20,560
and i know that nasa works with the usda

174
00:06:25,510 --> 00:06:22,639
and so why is it important that agencies

175
00:06:27,670 --> 00:06:25,520
like nasa and usda work together

176
00:06:30,550 --> 00:06:27,680
usda is the united states department of

177
00:06:33,110 --> 00:06:30,560
agriculture they are responsible for

178
00:06:35,909 --> 00:06:33,120
providing global information on a

179
00:06:39,029 --> 00:06:35,919
monthly basis on crop production and

180
00:06:41,270 --> 00:06:39,039
their forecasts set the gold standard

181
00:06:42,870 --> 00:06:41,280
to which agricultural commodity markets

182
00:06:44,629 --> 00:06:42,880
react to so as soon as those numbers

183
00:06:46,710 --> 00:06:44,639
come out every month

184
00:06:49,749 --> 00:06:46,720
you can see the the reaction and the

185
00:06:52,710 --> 00:06:49,759
response in international markets and so

186
00:06:54,469 --> 00:06:52,720
it makes a lot of sense for us um to for

187
00:06:57,589 --> 00:06:54,479
for nasa to be working very closely with

188
00:07:00,070 --> 00:06:57,599
usda to ensure that they're able to take

189
00:07:02,790 --> 00:07:00,080
up the best technology and analytics

190
00:07:04,870 --> 00:07:02,800
to inform their forecasting and

191
00:07:06,469 --> 00:07:04,880
and and their policy development and

192
00:07:08,469 --> 00:07:06,479
decisions ultimately

193
00:07:11,189 --> 00:07:08,479
it sounds like it's such an important

194
00:07:13,029 --> 00:07:11,199
and exciting time now for agriculture

195
00:07:14,710 --> 00:07:13,039
monitoring

196
00:07:16,950 --> 00:07:14,720
yeah it really is an exciting time for

197
00:07:19,029 --> 00:07:16,960
agricultural monitoring and for its

198
00:07:21,270 --> 00:07:19,039
potential to help inform

199
00:07:23,830 --> 00:07:21,280
both our food security and

200
00:07:25,430 --> 00:07:23,840
sustainability decisions and to help get

201
00:07:28,070 --> 00:07:25,440
us towards

202
00:07:30,550 --> 00:07:28,080
the sdg goal of zero hunger

203
00:07:32,390 --> 00:07:30,560
increasing food uh supplies and at the

204
00:07:35,749 --> 00:07:32,400
same time doing that in a sustainable

205
00:07:40,070 --> 00:07:35,759
manner yeah absolutely that's amazing

206
00:07:42,469 --> 00:07:40,080
and what's also amazing is our dip here

207
00:07:44,230 --> 00:07:42,479
which is almost complete but i think we

208
00:07:45,270 --> 00:07:44,240
can all agree that what would make it

209
00:07:52,950 --> 00:07:45,280
perfect

210
00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,070
delicious

211
00:08:00,869 --> 00:07:58,950
there we go thanks so much for joining

212
00:08:02,629 --> 00:08:00,879
us today involved for sharing all this

213
00:08:04,869 --> 00:08:02,639
really great information

214
00:08:07,940 --> 00:08:04,879
and thanks everyone for watching happy

215
00:08:07,950 --> 00:08:17,029
[Music]