Emerging Earth Observation methods for monitoring sustainable food production

Presented by Daniela Requena Suarez, Helmholtz GeoResearch Center Potsdam (GFZ) at "Side event 60th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies - Sustainable Bites: Innovating Low Emission Food Systems One Country at a Time" on 13 June 2024

1. Emerging Earth Observation methods for
monitoring sustainable food production

Daniela Requena Al
Helmholtz GeoResearch Center Potsdam (GFZ), Req

with contributions by Martin Herold, Camilo Zamora, Robert Masolele, Katja Berger,
Karimon Nesha and many more...

GFZ

HELMHOLTZ

3. EUDR requires that specific target commodities and derived products consumed
in the EU are sourced from areas where no deforestation occurred after 31
December 2020.

Requires operators to establish and implement due diligence systems.

Operators and traders must provide evidence in the form of geolocations of the
origin of the commodities / products they are bringing into the EU market.
Will become applicable on December 30, 2024

HELMHOLTZ

4. = feMonde D signin

Environment COF28. Caonbonts Aéaplation The Ears uses. FFAS

exce
Ethiopian coffee is threatened by European
deforestation regulations

Unable to meet the new traceability requirements imposed by Brussels, EU
could saa is exports start to fall drastically in 2095.

AFRICA

y Mos!

et Docin (Nairobi Kenya)

E Men A Following Fj Saved

Land Use & Dover | ncusy Insight | Deforestation Cimate Change
From forest-listening to advanced remote sensing, can Al turn the
tide on deforestation?

Dy Mark Hilsdon

Fay 18, 7074.10.00 AM GMT Late 5

Technology key to palm oil
industry’s compliance with EU
deforestation regulation

sf MONGABAY

NEWS & INSPIRATION FROM NATURE'S FRONTLINE

With an eye on EU's new rules, scientists
test ways to capture Africa's forest loss

by Malavika Vyawahare on 11 June 2024

fine

GFZ

Porsoam

HELMHOLTZ

5. Land use following tropical deforestation
(based on FAO-FRA 2010)

(4

Niki de Sy et al. 2019. Tropical deforestation drivers and associated carbon emission factors derived
from remote sensing data, Environmental Research Letters

GFZ Vasolele et al. (2021), Spatial and temporal deep learning methods for deriving land-use following
deforestation: A pan-tropical case study using Landsat time series , Remote Sensing of the re

Fawug Environment ME

6. Monitoring land use & commodities following
deforestation in Africa

Masolele et al., (2024). Mapping the diversity of land use following deforestation across Africa. Nature Scientific Reports

GFZ

Per JL:

7. a a Earth Engin

Direct Drivers of Deforestation
mo

I Lngerecel cpt
=

Visit Example Land Use Locations

ts =

Masolele et al., (2024).
GFZ

Earth Engine App and Data:

See also EC OpenEarthMonitor project
use cases:

OPEN EARTH
# MONITOR

. Nature Scientific Reports

8. Next steps: Expanding to the pantropics

60,000

LEGEND
UI Boundaries Reference data = Mining + Water - Tea © Avocado
Forest + Small scale croplands + Oil palm + Rubber + Urban
En * Cacao + Pasture > Soy * Cashew
Forest mask + Coffee + Plantation forest + Large scale croplands + Roads
GFZ WAGENINGEN

9. LU Mapping in Colombia
Initial Results

EUDR Crop types Other LU classes

ol Pan EZ Large scale copiand
Cr E Sal cale cropand
[acco E Hans

GFZ
_——— Camilo Ospina, Martin Herold, ur Verchot, Simon Besnard, Robert'Masolele and many more.

(work in progress) HELMHOLTZ

10. LU Mapping in Colombia
Methodological approach

Training database

- National datasets
| = Global datasets

&
©

Attribute table

ID LC DEF iw AGB, AGB,
001 Soy 2015 300 100
002 Palm 2017 250 50
x

060

Main calculated variables

+ Identification of deforested areas by
agricultural production (and others)

+ Deforested area for each
EUDR/Others LU classes

+ Difference AGB 2010-2020 and

disaggregated C emissions by crop
Land use model Forest Loss AGB type (in process)

(Deep Learning (GFW) (ESA-CCI)
model output)

Ancillary datasets

GFZ
_ Camilo Ospina, Martin Herold, Lou Verchot, Simon Besnard, Robert Masolele and many more...

pores (work in progress) HELMHOLTZ

11. Deforestation estimates linked to follow-up land
use in Colombia (2011 to 2019)

Category Follow-up land use TA (ha) Mean (SD)

EUDR Palm oil 29138.3 0.66 (1.66)
Soy 58.7 0.26 (0.12)
Coffee 51415.9 (0.
Cacao (0.
Rubber
Plantation

Other
Reg/Other 32488.4 0.46 (0.82) 4.16
Mining 51946.8 0.65 (1.72) 6.66
Roads 50000.3 0.43 (0.89) 6.41
Build-up 6651.5 0.27 (1.28) 0.85
Water 15353.5 0.4 (0.67) 1.97

GFZ
—— Camilo Ospina, Martin Herold, Lou Verchot, Simon Besnard, Robert Masolele and many more.
kewsuum (work in progress) HELMHOLTZ

12. Research in support of country forest
monitoring: GFOI

Methods and
Guidance
+ The Global Global Forest Observations Component
Initiative (GFOI) is a partnership that aims to
assist tropical countries to monitor their forest
and resources.
« Since 2023 and with support from the
European Space Agency (ESA), the Capacity
coordination of the R&D component is based at Building
GFZ-Potsdam Component ecu cu
+ R&D Component: aligning research efforts
to national landscape monitoring
challenges

! | GFOI Le partners
+ a _ R&D
@esa Component

14. Countries have improved in their
monitoring capacities

(1a) Use of RS FRA 2005 (2a) Use of NFI FRA 2005 Key issues for

= 2 E n future: sustained
progress, filling
remaining gaps,
respond to evolving
needs

‘Low BL imited BE Intermediate BN Good lif Very good]
FZ Nesha et al. (2021). An assessment of data sources, data quality and changes in national
GFZ forest monitoring capacities in the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005-2020. RES

Seem Environmental Research Letters.

15. Main Takeaways

High potential for the application of new methods in the (near) future
Challenges for operationalization > research with a focus on emerging
policies
Signs of uptake of new data and methods by national forest monitoring
systems is evident
Science-policy dialogue is necessary for improved landscape monitoring
— How can we leverage forest monitoring capacities developed for REDD+ to
make EUDR more efficient and relevant for climate?
- How to best link forest and agriculture related monitoring and assessments?
- Transparency: how to ensure that all relevant EUDR stakeholders have a
joint understanding on problems and solutions?

HELMHOLTZ

16. Thank you!

Daniela Requena Suarez
Helmholtz Ste Center Potsdam (GFZ)

Daniela

gfz

Suarez@ potsdam.de

GFZ

HELMHOLTZ