FutureEO benefits series – Empowering farmers, policymakers, and researchers in transforming agriculture • Oct 2025

Launched over 25 years ago, the FutureEO programme is at the core of the ESA Earth Observation activities. It pushes boundaries of Earth observation, delivering excellence in science, technology innovation, preparing for new operational missions and supporting scientists, policymakers, and society with the knowledge needed to protect our planet’s future in the domain of environment, climate change and sustainability.

From pioneering Earth Explorer missions to agile Scout satellites and AI-powered data solutions, FutureEO is ESA’s commitment to scientific excellence, societal resilience, and global cooperation.

FutureEO is structured around three defining pillars that provide a streamlined and centralised framework for ESA’s Earth Observation goals. They work together to ensure there is a smooth flow of information between projects, connecting innovative ideas with scientific objectives to inform and guide the development of missions from concept through to design and realisation.

As of 2023, global agricultural land covered approximately 4.8 billion hectares, over one-third of the Earth’s land area, including 1.6 billion hectares of cropland and 3.2 billion hectares of permanent meadows and pastures (1). Between 2001 and 2023, cropland per person fell by 20% (from 0.24 to 0.19 hectares per capita), while land productivity rose over 60%, from USD 550 to nearly USD 900 per hectare (1). Agriculture’s economic contribution is substantial: in 2023, global agricultural value added increased 2.6%, from USD 3.9 trillion to USD 4.0 trillion, while global GDP grew 2.8%, reaching USD 92.6 trillion (2).

ESA’s Earth observation missions, particularly the Sentinel series and FutureEO’s Earth Explorer missions include SMOS, BIOMASS, and the upcoming FLEX mission, provide critical data on crop health, soil moisture, vegetation, and land use to support sustainable agriculture and precision farming.

Through several FutureEO Earth Action projects, ESA is revolutionising global agriculture by harnessing satellite data to deliver open, accessible, and timely insights. The WorldCereal project provides a tool to assess crop types and conditions, and generate crop maps for users. Powered by advanced remote sensing and open-source tech, it supports informed decision-making for farmers, policymakers, and researchers at global scale, hence impacting food security, resource use, and even markets. As of February 2025, the WorldCereal 2021 products consisting of global-scale annual and seasonal crop maps have been downloaded more than 4200 times and there were more than 100 scientific publications referencing the project. In parallel, the Global Development Assistance (GDA) Agriculture project supports international financial institutions (IFIs) and their client States by delivering satellite services for monitoring agricultural activities at various scales for sustainable food production, risk management, and climate resilience. These services assist in assessing food production, improving water management, and evaluating climate impact on agriculture.

By providing accurate, timely, and globally consistent agricultural data, ESA is helping build more resilient food systems and a sustainable future for communities worldwide.

 References

(1) Land statistics 2001–2023. Global, regional and country trends

(2) Gross domestic product and agriculture value added 2014–2023.