FAO Launches CropSuit: Helping Farmers Grow the Right Crops in the Right Places

Digital agriculture is taking another major step forward with the launch of CropSuit, a new web-based application developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Designed to help farmers, advisers and policymakers make smarter cropping decisions, the platform combines advanced soil, climate and environmental data to identify which crops are best suited to specific locations.

Choosing the right crop has always been one of the most important decisions a farmer makes. However, changing weather patterns, soil degradation and increasing production costs make this decision more challenging than ever. CropSuit addresses these issues by transforming complex scientific data into practical recommendations that support better farm planning and more resilient agricultural systems.

The application analyses multiple layers of information, including soil characteristics, climate conditions, topography and land cover, allowing users to evaluate crop suitability before planting. By matching crops with local conditions, farmers can improve yields, optimise fertiliser use, reduce production risks and manage natural resources more sustainably. At a time when an estimated 1.7 billion people live in regions affected by land degradation, tools like CropSuit can play a crucial role in improving agricultural productivity while protecting the environment.

CropSuit is part of FAO's Soil Mapping for Resilient Agrifood Systems (SoilFER) programme, which strengthens national soil information systems through digital technologies, high-resolution soil mapping and decision-support tools.

The platform builds on the internationally recognised Global Agro-Ecological Zoning (GAEZ) framework and expands access to suitability assessments for a wide range of crops, including traditional and nutrient-rich species that can contribute to more diversified and resilient food systems.

One practical example comes from Zambia, where CropSuit demonstrated that neighbouring fields with different soil characteristics were better suited to different crops. While maize remained the best option for some areas, others showed greater potential for crops such as cassava, cowpea and fonio. This location-specific approach enables farmers to maximise the productivity of every hectare while reducing unnecessary input costs and improving resilience to climate change.

For farmers across Europe and beyond, CropSuit represents more than a digital map—it is a decision-support tool that brings science directly to the field.

As precision agriculture continues to evolve, innovations like CropSuit demonstrate how digital technologies can help producers make more informed decisions, increase profitability and build farming systems that are better prepared for the challenges of the future.

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.

Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.

more: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-launches-cropsuit-app-to-help-farmers-grow-the-right-crops-in-the-right-places/en