eLEAF, a Netherlands-based high-tech company that supplies reliable, quantitative data on water and vegetation in order to support sustainable water use, increase food production, and protect environmental systems have recently called upon DMCii satellite imagery to provide satellite images of four pilot areas located in West- Noubaria (Egypt) Arata Chufa irrigation scheme, Oromiya (Ethiopia), the spate irrigation area of the Gash Delta (Sudan) and Office du Niger (Mali) to help improve the livelihoods and income of millions of farmers.

Water scarcity and food security are topics of utmost importance amongst the ever-expanding population of Africa. Due to a general lack of water resources availability and/or development in the semi-arid and arid zones, water is generally the limiting factor for agricultural production.

Ground data and models gathered by eLEAF and supported by DMCii satellite images provides farmers with timely and detailed field and crop information throughout the growing season.

This supports the farmers in improving their crop production at the same time as their economic returns/income. Farmers are given the option to make informed decisions regarding the management of their land and water resources. This in turn enhances farmers' negotiation capacity with water and farm related service providers.

DMCii uses a constellation approach to ensure cloud free imagery can provided on a regular and timely basis over large areas at least 160km wide. DMCii are the only satellite imaging company who can provide this important data at regular intervals, making them invaluable to the project.

So far, feedback from the farmers and local partners (agricultural staff) in the pilot areas in the four African countries is encouraging. eLEAF data provides valuable insights in a wide variety of crop specific information and is not restricted by political borders.