Satellite imagery and AI help detect organic cotton fields

Soon, a satellite in space may be able to determine if your favorite cotton dress is organic.

A new effort by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) plans to combine data from satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) to track cotton certification in India.

The project, a collaboration between ESA, GOTS and AI company Marple, automatically classifies cotton fields in India according to cultivation criteria.

Under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions Program, the effort will train an AI model to “read” ESA satellite data to identify and classify cotton fields in India.

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“This project highlights how space solutions can have a positive impact on the world and is the kind of innovation that ESA supports through its Business Applications and Space Solutions Program,” said ESA Business Development and Head of partnerships Guillaume Prigen said in an email. Hinduism.

This project will help GOTS generate accurate estimates of organic cotton yields in specific regions by incorporating standardized yield metrics.

GOTS is a coalition of four organizations, the Organic Trade Association (USA), the World Conservation Society (Germany), the Soil Association (UK), and the Japan Organic Cotton Association (Japan), linking the textile and organic industries. . To promote organic fibres.

The initiative will identify cotton fields that meet predetermined criteria and support cotton fields that demonstrate the potential for a seamless transition to organic farming through the use of traditional, environmentally friendly farming practices. .

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The primary objective of the partnership is to develop advanced risk assessment technology to strengthen the integrity of organic cotton and prevent fraud throughout the supply chain.

This approach is expected to bring more smallholder farmers into the certified organic sector and supply chain, creating new economic opportunities for smallholder farmers and their communities.

It could also help address the growing consumer demand for organic cotton within the textile industry.

The program has already been successfully piloted in 2021 in Uzbekistan, one of the world’s leading cotton producing countries. were shown to be distinguishable.

The project will be implemented in different cotton growing regions in India where organic cotton production plays a key role. The first results he expects at the end of 2023.