NEO and Planet: Revolutionizing Agricultural Monitoring in the EU

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a critical framework designed to support and improve the agricultural sector across member states. However, the CAP’s requirements pose significant challenges, particularly in the area of remote sensing-based Area Monitoring Systems (AMS). Netherlands Geomatics & Earth Observation B.V. (NEO), a Planet partner, is addressing these challenges head-on, leveraging the Planet Insights Platform to enhance compliance with CAP requirements.

NEO’s Mission and Partnership with Planet

NEO, a leading provider of information services for continuous monitoring of geo-objects, has been at the forefront of agricultural monitoring for over 25 years. Their expertise in geo-data management and innovative use of technology has enabled them to support nationwide monitoring efforts in countries like the Netherlands and Ireland.

“At NEO, our goal is to monitor all objects visible from the skies,” said Henk Janssen, Project Manager and Consultant for Earth Observation and Geomatics at NEO. “Specifically, we focus on agricultural parcels to support national paying agencies in monitoring subsidy applications from farmers.” 

One of the primary challenges faced by NEO is the need for high-resolution, frequent data to monitor agricultural activities accurately. Through CAP, financial incentive programs support farmers in their transition towards sustainable and efficient farming practices through verified payout schemes. However, traditional reliance on Sentinel-2 satellite data has proven inadequate for verification and monitoring smaller fields and narrow land parcels, which make up a significant portion of CAP-eligible hectares. This is where the partnership between NEO with Planet comes into play.

The Challenge of Implementing CAP

Originally established in 1962, the CAP is a cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to support and improve the agricultural sector. With €58 billion allocated towards it in 2021, the CAP represents the largest share of the EU budget. The policy aims to strengthen the EU agricultural economy and improve productivity across 174 million agricultural hectares.

Since 2018, the CAP has been undergoing a modernization process aligned with the EU Green Deal, aiming to tackle climate change through sustainable management practices and the adoption of digital technologies. National authorities have traditionally relied on Sentinel-2 satellite data for the verification of these practices, but the limitations of this data in terms of resolution and cadence have posed significant challenges.

NEO’s Innovative Approach with Planet Insights Platform

NEO’s expertise in remote sensing has been instrumental in preparing for the AMS implementation. They have led several successful projects, including the Proof of Concepts in the Netherlands and operational implementation support in Denmark from 2018 – 2020. Currently, NEO is leading the setting up and running of the Dutch AMS  and is a project partner in the AMS implementation in Ireland.

The Planet Insights Platform has been a game-changer for NEO. Offering high spatial resolution satellite data with a near-daily satellite capture of real-time observations, the platform has significantly enhanced NEO’s monitoring capabilities. The number of monitored fields has increased by 25% compared to Sentinel-2 data, and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has expanded its monitored parcels from 650,000 to 1 million.

“The Planet datasets are crucial for us because they fill the gaps left by Sentinel data sets,” explained Janssen. “With a higher return time and the ability to identify activities on smaller and narrower parcels, we can monitor 15-20% more parcels and use twice as many images to fill our models.”

Additionally, the partnership with Planet has allowed NEO to deliver high quality results to the Dutch Paying Agency (NEA)  that helps them to reduce the number of on-the-spot checks . This has streamlined the monitoring process, reducing administrative challenges and enabling more accurate reporting to the EU on subsidy spending.

“Until now each company has built their own pipelines, data processing, algorithms and derived datasets,” said Janssen. “By combining our skills with Planet’s capabilities, we can prepare for the future and scale up our competencies. This ecosystem approach is vital for building robust monitoring systems that can support the evolving needs of agricultural policy in the EU.”

Looking Ahead

As NEO continues to innovate and expand its capabilities, their partnership with Planet will play a crucial role in their ongoing success. By leveraging advanced remote sensing technology and reliable data, NEO is helping national authorities comply with CAP requirements and support sustainable agricultural practices across the EU.

Watch the accompanying video to hear more from Henk Janssen on how this partnership is transforming agricultural monitoring in the EU.