Description:
As part of its efforts to further improve the reliability and timeliness of its reporting to member states, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to improve the exchange of expertise, knowledge and relevant data for the joint development of Earth Observation applications responding to the mandate of FAO. The two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will facilitate synergies of R&D efforts and to scale up solutions in particular the FAO capacity development work aimed at enabling countries in the use of Earth Observations for agricultural statistics and SDG monitoring, by allowing the standardization of methods/applications, increasing results accuracy and sustainability of solutions.
The LPS22 Agora will discuss with FAO experts working in different thematic domains the following topics:
•Requirements and challenges for using satellite Earth Observation data;
•Exchange of data sets from integrated household/field surveys, essential for calibration and validation of Earth Observation models;
•Developing innovative Earth Observation algorithms, products and applications relevant for the mandate of FAO making full use of latest IT capabilities, such as cloud computing;
•Demonstrating and validating Earth Observation capabilities for data generation under FAO’s mandate.
Speakers:
o Moderated panel discussion:
o Opening: Welcome and keynotes
 Maurice Borgeaud, Head of the Science, Applications & Climate Department – European Space Agency (ESA)
 Pietro Gennari, Chief Statistician – UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

o Moderated panel discussion: Moderator Benjamin Koetz, Head of Sustainable Initiatives Office, ESA
 Livia Peiser – FAO, Land and Water Division
 Lorenzo DeSimone – FAO, Statistic Division
 Erik Lindquist – FAO, Forestry Division
 Pierre Defourney, Earth & Life Institute - Université Catholique Louvain
 Radoslaw Guzinski, DHI-GRAS
 Moderator Benjamin Koetz, Head of Sustainable Initiatives Office, ESA
 Livia Peiser – FAO, Land and Water Division
 Lorenzo DeSimone – FAO, Statistic Division
 Erik Lindquist – FAO, Forestry Division
 Pierre Defourney, Earth & Life Institute - Université Catholique Louvain
 Radoslaw Guzinski, DHI-GRAS