Global Food Security Parameters Studies Using Satellite Remote Sensing

Climate change and a growing population make food security intimidating and challenging to alleviate poverty and hunger. Advancements of remote sensing technology make cropland estimates possible at the global scale. Food yield is equal to the total crop harvest per unit cultivated area. During the elapsed time of germination and frequent harvesting, both human and climate related effects determine a country's contribution towards global food security.

In this study, nine countries were selected to analyze food production along with their annual income per capita. Criteria to follow when choosing countries for research include total population, area, tropical conditions, and income. Both physical land cover and regional climate helped categorize potential parameters thought to be studied. Once selected, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data was collected for Ethiopia, Liberia, Indonesia, United States, Norway, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over a 15-year time period for every 6 months starting from June 2000. Software programs such as ArcGIS, MatLab, and Excel were used to determine how population size, income, and deforestation directly determine agricultural yields. To maintain supply and demand of agricultural products, forests are often cleared. Deforestation causes a reduction in soil quality, resulting in fertilizer to become a requirement for sufficient crop yields. These additives persuade an increase in product cost as an outcome.

The total area and vegetation index of each country is being studied, to determine income and the percentage of land used for crops and the percentage impacted by deforestation. By using NDVI results, a parameter will potentially be found that will help define an index, to create an equation that will determine a country's annual income and ability to provide for their families and themselves.

Keyword: Remote Sensing, Food Security, Population, Crop yield, Income per capita, and NDVI.