The EOSTAT Field Boundary Digitizing Mapathon took place from 16 September to 1 October 2024 in Zimbabwe, marking a significant leap forward in agricultural data collection for the country. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the African Development Bank Group and Zimbabwe Emergency Food Production Project, the event was designed to support Zimbabwe’s journey towards modernizing agricultural practices using innovative geospatial technologies.

Launched in 2019, FAO’s Earth Observation for Statistics (FAO-EOSTAT) project uses next generation Earth observation tools to produce land cover and land use statistics. Initially deployed in Senegal and Uganda, then expanded to 21 countries, the innovative approach supported by FAO’s Data Lab relies on free of charge Earth observation data, vegetation and climate modelling, as well as field survey data to build countries’ capacity to produce seasonal crop type maps, annual land cover maps that are standardized, accurate, granular and validated.

The recent mapathon in Zimbabwe set out to map at least two districts, creating a solid dataset to support the establishment of a comprehensive farmer registry, which is expected to greatly influence agricultural policies.

Live app - farmer registry dashboard (prototype).

By accurately identifying and mapping farmers' land, policymakers will be better equipped to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, land management, and agricultural support programs. The registry will also improve the government’s capacity to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these policies, ultimately enhancing agricultural productivity and food security.

Another important goal of the event was to generate sufficient training data for the artificial intelligence (AI) process, which will be used to scale up field boundary mapping across the nation.

Additionally, the event aimed to empower 15 local students, all members of Youth Mappers, by equipping them with advanced and practical Geographic Information System (GIS) skills.

When asked about the capacity-building experience, Sinothando Mhlanga, a first-year student at National University of Science and Technology (NUST), shared, “Being a part of this mapathon alongside recognized giants such as FAO and Digital Earth Africa has been an honour and a privilege for us as students, more because we have been graced with such an opportunity to contribute to and have a meaningful impact in the digital industry at such an early stage of our studies".

Then he added, "During this tenure we have gained exposure into the Digital imaging world, having been introduced to some great projects and products by both FAO and Digital Earth Africa". 

Over the 14-day mapathon, Youth Mappers successfully digitized an impressive 133 000 crop fields across seven districts, far exceeding the initial goal of mapping just two districts. This achievement resulted in an average of 11 600 fields mapped per day, with each participant contributing around 720 fields daily.

Map of field boundaries mapped across the six priority districts in Zimbabwe for a total of 133 635 plots, and 429 931 hectares

Blessing Shumbayaonda, a second-year GIS and Remote Sensing student, reflected on the impact of geospatial technology, saying, "GIS and remote sensing will transform agriculture in Zimbabwe by enabling precision farming, crop monitoring, and sustainable resource management. GIS will assist farmers in optimizing inputs like water and fertilizers, planning land use, and modeling risks such as droughts and floods".

The event concluded with the presentation of results and a discussion of the next steps. All 19 participants were awarded FAO certificates of participation, acknowledging their significant contributions. Both FAO and NUST have expressed great interest in future collaborations, including webinars for continued capacity building.

The Youth Mappers group also committed to making the mapathon a regular event, expanding field boundary digitization to additional areas across Zimbabwe.

The EOSTAT Field Boundary Digitizing Mapathon marked a major milestone in modernizing Zimbabwe's agricultural data infrastructure. By combining advanced technology, education, and collaboration, this initiative sets the stage for more efficient and sustainable farming practices.