Name: How satellites are supporting farmers across Africa
Uploaded: 2025-10-24T14:58:28Z
Duration: 4 min 44 s
Description: More than 8,000 satellites orbit Earth, taking photos every day. Food security specialist and TED Fellow Catherine Nakalembe shows how she uses this imagery to help smallholder farmers across Africa prepare for floods, droughts and crop failures. Learn why real innovation isn’t always about shinier technology — it’s about making the tech truly fit the problem it’s solving.

Catherine Nakalembe: How satellites are supporting farmers across Africa

How satellites are supporting farmers across Africa

More than 8,000 satellites orbit Earth, taking photos every day. Food security specialist and TED Fellow Catherine Nakalembe shows how she uses this imagery to help smallholder farmers across Africa prepare for floods, droughts and crop failures. Learn why real innovation isn’t always about shinier technology — it’s about making the tech truly fit the problem it’s solving.

Satellites scan Earth daily, but their data often misses the real complexities of African farms. In Kenya, two teams gathered five million images in two weeks with GoPros to train smarter models that actually reflect on-the-ground realities. By tailoring technology to local needs, accurate crop maps now help direct aid fast after disasters like the 2024 floods. Real progress comes not from flashy tools, but from making innovation fit the lives it aims to help.

Satellites Alone Can’t Solve Africa’s Farming Crisis

Farmers across Africa face devastating threats like droughts, pests, and floods, sometimes risking the food security of entire generations. Over 8,000 satellites capture daily images of Earth, but their data often misrepresents small, diverse farms. Accurate insights only emerge when technology is adapted to local realities, combining space imagery with on-the-ground evidence. Real impact comes from transforming high-tech tools to fit farmers’ actual needs.