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Insuring crops from space
Extreme weather poses increasing challenges to the agricultural sector. New insurance models based on satellite data may reduce the risk of drought for farmers, writes Robert Finger.
Climate change is increasing drought risk to many areas. Droughts already cause massive yield losses on a regular basis, and coping with this risk is becoming increasingly important to farmers. In addition to the use of irrigation systems and drought-tolerant crops, crop insurance could potentially play a major role. The global agricultural insurance market is growing rapidly, but few options focus on drought.
One promising approach to better drought insurance models that is yet to receive due attention involves the use of satellite data. The quantity and quality is increasing steadily, and well-validated, high-resolution data products are often freely available. This allows drought events globally to be monitored efficiently and in near real-time.