Dimitra’s Commitment to Advancing SDGs: Climate Action

To limit dangerous global warming by 2030, scientists recommend that emissions should be cut by 43% compared to 2010 levels. But according to current projections, global emissions will likely rise by 14% this decade.

Collective urgency to take serious climate action is overdue.

This is illustrated by the fact that corrective climate activities are a top priority among some of the world’s most influential entities.

The United Nations developed a series of objectives that will obtain greater sustainable development around the world. These 17 priorities are called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and range from ending world hunger to making quality education available to all.

Dimitra’s long-term mission aligns with these goals. SDG #13, Climate Action, is a major focus of Dimitra’s work with global agriculture.

Climate Action SDG

The SDG Climate Action objective is urgent action to combat climate change and its various impacts. Several key pillars of this goal relate to agriculture: education, awareness, and adaptive planning and management.

The lack of education about climate change and the limited awareness of responsible agriculture practices is problematic for farmers in both developed countries and underdeveloped regions. It is imperative that these individuals gain better knowledge and tools, including:

• Agricultural technology
• Strategic operations
• Responsible sourcing
• Optimal farm management
• Connected distribution
• Impact reduction
• Early warning systems

Furthermore, to adequately mitigate negative climate impacts in the agricultural sector worldwide, marginalized communities and smallholder farmers need resources that support farming operations.

Top Climate Challenges Farmers Face

There isn’t one magical answer to effectively develop, maintain and support solutions that encourage sustainable agriculture throughout the world. Agricultural climate problems are as vast as the loss of soil quality, lack of education, and rising greenhouse gas emissions, to name a few.

Farmers need help reducing emissions, adapting to more resilient crop management practices, and implementing strategies that support long-term climate responsibility. It’s a slow process, as many smallholder farms have very little access to sustainable technologies already in place.

Even in developed countries, conventional farming practices are far removed from long-term sustainability objectives. Global agriculture accounts for nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater consumption. Farming operations emit large amounts of pollution. Over the past 150 years, the earth has lost more than 50% of its topsoil due to monocropping, leading to a decrease in soil fertility.

Government-influenced farming education is limited, as greener practices aren’t as immediately profitable at larger scales. Farming is labor intensive, and smaller governments especially don’t have the resources to allocate toward education and leading practices.

Advancing Climate Action: Farmer Technology for Climate Responsibility

To get on board with intensive climate action efforts, farmers have two priorities: widespread education and supportive agricultural technology solutions.

At Dimitra, we give farmers the data-driven mechanisms they need to ensure environmentally responsible change. One tool, the Dimitra Connected Farmer App, uses satellites to provide critical information to farmers:

1. Soil fertility data: Accurate satellite images show farmers which areas of soil require fertilizer. This preserves the amounts of fertilizer used seasonally and annually, allowing farms of all scales to prevent overfertilization and topsoil depletion. In return, farmers save money, time, and energy.
2. Predictive weather patterns: Precise weather predictions allow farmers to make informed decisions on when, where, and how much to water their crops. Accurate technology mitigates risks associated with harmful weather conditions and gives farmers actionable data to prioritize sustainability.
3. Crop health monitoring: Using satellite vegetation indices, farmers can remotely monitor the health of crops throughout their lifecycle. Satellites monitor the farms to detect areas with uneven seed growth, aged or wilted crops, and diseased or pest-infected fields. This helps farmers detect issues on the field before they get out of hand.
4. Tailored agronomy insights: Dimitra’s team of Ph.D. agronomists continuously analyze satellite, weather, and ground observation data to give every farmer tailored recommendations.
5. Deforestation Compliance: Dimitra uses satellite data in its Deforestation Compliance Module, which allows operators to detect deforestation, prove compliance, and reduce the risk of fraud.

Cutting-edge technology solutions aren’t a quick and easy fix — they are long-term strategies toward climate action. Our goal at Dimitra is to equip farmers with the information, digital tools, and practical farming methods that will trickle down into future generations.

Dimitra technology is already helping thousands of farms track daily farm activity, access data-rich reporting, increase yield, and mitigate risks. We are actively working alongside governments and organizations that are leading the way toward sustainable climate action.