Accessibility to consistent, subnational, spatial information on crops globally will be hugely beneficial to  researchers and policy makers. Researchers need this data to evaluate the benefits and costs of adopting new crop and livestock technologies, estimate the impact of climate change on agriculture calculate yield gaps, and analyze the historical evolution of farming systems. Policymakers, donors, and investors rely on spatially explicit crop data to better target agricultural and rural development investments and inform policy decisions.

To address this need, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has developed a Spatial Production Allocation Model (SPAM). SPAM generates highly disaggregated, fine-resolution, crop-specific production data using the data fusion method. Datasets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2017, and 2020 are available as open-access resources on the SPAM website (www.mapspam.info) and Dataverse.

During this webinar, we will discuss SPAM data and products within the broader context of global cropping system mapping perspective and history. We will discuss key challenges that still need to be overcome in global crop mapping community, and share insights on the future of improving the global cropping data products. Finally, we will outline the collective mechanisms and efforts needed—including open-access data platforms, standard protocols, and consistent financial support—to produce high-quality datasets that serve the needs of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Opening Remarks

• Navin Ramankutty, Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Canada Research Chair, The University of British Columbia, Canada

Presentation

• Liangzhi You, Senior Research Fellow, Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit, IFPRI

Discussant

• Deepak Ray, Senior Scientist in Global Landscape, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota

Moderator

• Jawoo Koo, Senior Research Fellow, Natural Resource and Resilience Unit, IFPRI

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Watch previous webinars in this series:

What does climate change mean for the future of agriculture? Insights from the IMPACT modeling system (May 15, 2024)

How do we prioritize agrifood system policies and investments? Insights from the RIAPA modeling system (June 12, 2024)

How does agricultural productivity growth affect agrifood system transformation goals? Exploring trade-offs using IMPACT (July 9, 2024)

How should governments respond to crises? Rapid response using RIAPA modeling system (August 13, 2024)