Global Monitoring for Food Security (GMFS)

The objective of the GMFS project developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) is to improve the provision of operational and sustainable information services, derived at least partly from earth observation data, to assist food aid and food security decision-makers from local to global level. GMFS aims to consolidate, support and complement existing regional information and early warning systems on food and agriculture. Together with other key players in the sector, GMFS is establishing a European Service for Food Security to guarantee state-of-the-art operational monitoring and forecasting for agricultural production and food security issues in direct support to European food security policy objectives. The longer-term goal of GMFS is to develop a network of geographically distributed service providers capable of contributing to and benefiting from satellite observations related to agricultural production monitoring. One activity that is being leveraged to advance the GMFS project is the broadcast of VEGETATION data to Africa through EUMETCast, aimed at promoting data utilization and develop capacities of regional participants.

GMFS provides Early Warning, Agricultural Monitoring and CFSAM support services in support of food security monitoring activities in Africa. GMFS partners with key actors in the sector at the international (EC and UN), regional (Regional Economic Communities or key institutes) and national level (Ministries of Agriculture or national Food Security Monitoring groupings). At national level GMFS Activities focus on: Senegal, Niger, Mali, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Website: http://www.gmfs.info/