Zimbabwe scales up satellite-based agricultural data systems with launch of EOSTAT Phase II

Harare - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and with financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), has officially launched the second phase of the Earth Observation for Agricultural Statistics project (EOSTAT II) in Zimbabwe. This initiative aims to scale up the use of satellite data for routine crop type mapping, drought and flood monitoring, and farmer registry integration, transforming the country’s capacity to generate timely, reliable agricultural statistics.

During the first phase, EOSTAT supported the development of Zimbabwe’s first nationwide winter wheat map (2023) and a comprehensive crop type map for the 2023/24 summer season. Over 300,000 farm parcel boundaries were digitized, forming the foundation for a prototype Farmer Registry System designed to support input distribution, subsidy targeting, and early warning efforts. In parallel, pilot tools for drought and flood monitoring were deployed using Earth Observation time series data and anomaly detection models.

Phase II will build on these achievements by institutionalizing seasonal crop mapping as a routine operation, integrating the Farmer Registry System across districts, and expanding the use of Earth Observation tools for early warning and agricultural estimates. By embedding these capabilities within national systems and aligning them with statistical and emergency response frameworks, the project aims to improve data-driven planning and food security outcomes.

“Earth Observation technologies offer enormous potential. However, their impact depends on strong institutional frameworks and sustained collaboration aligned with national priorities,” said Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative to Zimbabwe.

“Let us ensure that these technological advances translate into more informed policies, resilient farming systems, and secure livelihoods for Zimbabwe’s communities,” he added.

“With EOSTAT II, we are moving from experimentation to transformation,” said Lorenzo De Simone, FAO-EOSTAT Global Project Leader. “By embedding Earth Observation technologies into Zimbabwe’s agricultural data ecosystem, we enable faster, smarter, and more inclusive decisions that strengthen the country’s resilience and support sustainable agri-food systems.”

The launch of EOSTAT II follows a recent milestone achievement for Zimbabwe, where the country received the SDG Custodian Agency Prize at the seventh annual GEO SDG Awards. The award recognized Zimbabwe’s leadership in leveraging Earth Observation to support national sustainable development goals.

Key implementation partners include the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZIMSTAT), the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA), the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), the Zimbabwe Centre for High Performance Computing (ZCHPC), and the Meteorological Services Department (MSD). These institutions will ensure the continued technical and institutional ownership of EOSTAT II.

Research support will continue to be provided by the University of Louvain and the National University of Science and Technology, helping to enhance the scientific rigor and analytical capacity of the project.