New digital tool combines soil, climate and landscape data to improve yields, strengthen resilience and support smarter farming

Rome, 05 July 2026 | ANN : The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched CropSuit, a free web-based application that combines soil information with climate information, topography, land cover and other environmental data to identify the crops most likely to perform well in a given location, said the official statement from the organization.

The CropSuit application is part of FAO’s Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems (SoilFER) programme, an initiative funded by Japan and the United States of America that helps countries in Africa and Central America strengthen their soil information systems by combining advanced soil data, geospatial data integration, crop modelling and digital decision-support tools.

“By helping farmers plant the best crop for local conditions, Crop Suit supports better yields, improved incomes, more efficient fertilizer use and more sustainable land management”, it stated.

The tool comes at a critical time when 1.7 billion people around the world live in areas where land degradation is reducing agricultural productivity.

“Technology does not replace farmers. It gives them better information to make better decisions, at the right time and in the right place. CropSuit is one example of how innovation can turn science into practical support for farmers,” said Lifeng Li, Director, FAO Land and Water Division. ”

The challenge is no longer whether smart farming works. It is whether we can ensure that these tools reach the farmers who need them most,” he added.

According to FAO, “The value of the CropSuit app is already being demonstrated through FAO’s programme in Zambia. Using detailed soil maps alongside rainfall and other environmental data, the application showed that while maize performed well on some fields, neighbouring plots with different soil characteristics were better suited to crops such as cassava, cowpea and fonio. The result is more informed crop selection, greater climate resilience and stronger production potential”.

The application was unveiled during FAO’s Global Conference on Smart Farming, which gathered ministers, policy makers, researchers and private-sector representatives from around the world to discuss how digital innovation can improve food production while making agriculture more resilient and sustainable.

However, there was no information yet if the application will also be launched for farmers outside Africa and Central America.
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