Today, an estimated 821 million people on Earth are undernourished. The current agricultural system is under pressure from population growth and climate change. The climate is changing at an accelerated rate and the threat to food autonomy is growing.
So how can we limit the impact of global warming, adapt and become more resilient?
CLS, a partner to Martinique, along with the company Cartophyl provides strategic land use data (vegetation, land use, agriculture, etc.) capable of identifying the agronomic potential of the island’s parcels, taking into account environmental constraints and human activity. As part of a food resilience and territorial management approach, this data will be accessible via a platform, Geomartinique, which will enable users to predict:
- how agricultural plots could evolve and increase their yields or be used to grow other types of crops,
- or how uncultivated plots could become so and which species could be recommended.
These data are strategic for an efficient, resilient and respectful management of the territories.
Martinique, located in the Lesser Antilles archipelago, has an area of 1,128 km2 and a population of over 350,000. Agriculture, mainly bananas and sugar cane, is its main source of wealth (exports). The sector employs nearly 15,000 people on 3,000 farms and production represents approximately 246M€.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Martinique’s agriculture only partially meets local demand: 77% of products are imported and local fruits and vegetables cover only 34% and 41% of needs, respectively.
While 21% of Martinique’s surface is currently dedicated to agricultural land, this figure is declining and is likely to decrease further due to climate change.
The latest IPCC report predicts that climate change will lead to a decrease in yields and crop suitability, especially in tropical and semi-tropical regions.
But by acting today, we can ensure the future!
How can we fulfill such a mission?
The Martinique Department of Food, Agriculture and Forestry called on CLS, a specialist in land use data, a subsidiary of CNES and CNP, to assist in its efforts towards food resilience.
By combining land use data (OCS-GE, BD-Topo®, etc.) and technical data (irrigation, pedology, etc.), CLS and its partner Cartophyl have created an updated database capable of providing a map that identifies undeveloped land and details its agricultural potential, taking into account its immediate environment (accessibility, irrigation, etc.).
This database aims to:
- Guide decisions to promote and boost Martinique’s agriculture,
- Ensure the preservation of agricultural land,
- Determine the development potential of certain forms of agriculture by analyzing the surrounding environment.
Testimony
Konrad ROLLAND,
Head of Land and Hydrology Applications at CLS: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Island of Martinique and to place more than 30 years of expertise in land management at the service of local authorities. Thanks to our data expertise (satellite, airborne, field, etc.) and the databases we have already built, we are proud to deliver the best of data to local managers who will now be able to improve the use of their territories and contribute to the food autonomy of this French Island so loved by the French.”
A solution that can be replicated and adapted to other uses such as resilience to increasing temperatures.
This method could also be used to identify the agronomic potential of plots in other French territories as well as to help cities adapt to other climate change impacts such as heat islands within urban centers.
Using the same method applied in Martinique, CLS is proposing to identify the potential of “green spaces” in urban areas to lower surface and air temperatures and combining criteria such as public accessibility.
