From tracking cows and Peruvian asparagus to monitoring harmful algae blooms, satellites offer the food industry valuable information

The first successful weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched in 1960. The images, though a bit blurry, picked up a typhoon 1,000 miles east of Australia. This satellite only lasted 78 days in orbit but it showed the benefits of space observations, ushering in an era of much more accurate weather information that has helped save lives and protect livelihoods.

Today there are more than 200 non-military operational satellites looking at the Earth and agriculture is a key beneficiary of the boom in this technology. As innovation drives down the cost of getting a satellite into orbit, and more data becomes available, increasing numbers of farmers are set to benefit.

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Source: Guardian Environment