How the EU Space Programme can support the agricultural sector: the case of Brazil
5 September 2023
In 2021, the Brazilian Space Agency published Brazil’s National Space Activities Program (PNAE) for the period from 2022 to 2031. Among the key priorities of the program, the authors listed the agricultural sector: “[...] the agricultural sector stands out as one of the sectors that contributes most the national economy. Its entire chain, which includes primary activities, processing and distribution, accounts for a considerable portion of the national GDP.”
In light of such clear outline of priorities and of the recent launch of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance and the Global Gateway Strategy, closer cooperation in this sector between the European Union and Brazil appears to be a logical step forward.
Among the many initiatives being developed against this backdrop, the European Commission is committed to intensify collaborative efforts with Brazil by organising an exclusive event exploring the partnership opportunities that the EU Space Programme presents to the Brazilian agribusiness ecosystem.
The event, taking place on 14 September in Brasilia, will bring together European Commission officials and representatives of Brazilian federal agencies, while selected companies will be pitching their satellite-powered services through individual presentations.
The practical solutions offered by the EU Space Programme
Copernicus, EGNOS and Galileo, backed by reliable satellite and in-situ infrastructure, have enabled the development of multiple applications in the field of agriculture for both the public and private sectors.
Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation provide a wide range of solutions that can help public authorities take informed decisions on resource management and support agribusiness in increasing efficiency and achieving better crop yields.
Through Copernicus satellite imagery, farmers can monitor the health of their crops and make efficient use of fertilisers and water resource. Sentinel-2’s Moisture Index, for instance, has proven to be an excellent tool for the identification of water stress in plants from space.
Galileo’s services such as the High Accuracy Service (HAS) and EGNOS’ corrections can instead provide tractors and other types of agricultural equipment with centimetre accuracy, reducing the time of operations and consequently machinery wear.
The synergies between the three components of the EU Space Programme, together with downstream innovative solutions developed by the private sector, can offer to Brazilian public authorities, farmers and agribusiness unparalleled and high-quality data to support the growth of the local agricultural sector and meet the current national priorities, such as increasing the sustainability and productivity of Brazilian agriculture and staying on top of agricultural research.
The upcoming event will be the perfect opportunity to learn more about space applications in agriculture and take part in a new era of EU-Brazil cooperation in space.
EU-Brazil cooperation: a few key figures
From a net importer of food products during the 1990’s, today Brazil has become one of the world’s main exporters together with the European Union and the United States.
Bilateral trade between the European Union and Brazil is flourishing, as it reached a record 93 billion euros for 2022, representing an increase of 40% compared to 2021; imports and exports from and to Brazil increased respectively by 52% and 27%.
The EU remains Brazil's largest trading partner after China, with 16% of Brazil's total external trade and EU's largest market among Mercosur countries (78% of EU-Mercosur trade).
→ Register here for the event
→ Read more about the EU-LAC Digital Alliance
→ Read more about the Global Gateway strategy for the LAC region
→ Explore our global market report for the LAC region
→ Learn more about the applications of the EU Space Programme in agriculture