The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) have launched a new initiative with the objective of integrating satellite images and artificial intelligence (AI) to oversee cotton certification in India. This is an important development affecting Indian agriculture and the economy as such. We cover this topic in this article from the IAS exam perspective.
Satellite Images and AI to Help Detect Organic Cotton Fields
The collaboration involves ESA, GOTS, and AI company Marple to classify cotton fields in India according to cultivation standards using automated techniques.
- ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions programme supports this innovative use of space solutions.
- GOTS is a collaborative alliance comprising four organizations whose purpose is to unite the textile and organic industries in order to advocate for and promote the use of organic textiles.
Impact of the Initiative:
- Supporting Organic Cultivation:
- The initiative aims to identify cotton fields that adhere to specific standards and facilitate the shift towards organic cultivation.Â
- It will promote the adoption of traditional and environmentally sustainable farming practices.
- Enhancing Supply Chain Integrity
- The collaboration seeks to enhance the integrity of organic cotton production by developing sophisticated risk assessment methods that effectively combat fraud within the organic cotton supply chain.
- Economic Opportunities and Consumer Demand
- Small-scale farmers will have new economic opportunities through involvement in the certified organic sector and supply chains.
- The initiative can meet the rising consumer demand for organic cotton in the textile industry.
- Other Benefits
- Accurate estimates of organic cotton yields will be generated in specific regions.
- Standardised yield metrics will be incorporated to ensure accurate data.
Pilot Run and Implementation:
- In Uzbekistan, a pilot run was conducted with impressive results, demonstrating a 98% accuracy in distinguishing between organic and conventional cotton fields.
- The initiative will be rolled out in diverse cotton-producing areas across India.
- The first results from the project are expected to be available in late 2023.
Satellites, AI to Help Certify Fields Growing Organic Cotton [UPSC Notes]:- Download PDF Here
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