The Annual Crop Inventory Map is an artificial intelligence system developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada that uses machine learning to analyze satellite imagery and field data to create detailed maps of crop types and land use across Canada. Since 2009, this system has become one of the Government of Canada's most widely accessed open datasets, helping policymakers, researchers, and the public understand how agricultural land is being used and how it changes over time.
The system processes Earth observation satellite data combined with ground-truth information from crop databases to identify and classify different crop types and land cover categories. This information supports sustainability reporting, agricultural policy development, and environmental monitoring programs. The system is currently in production and does not involve the collection or processing of personal information about individuals.
Both government employees and members of the public can access and download the resulting crop inventory maps and datasets. The system is designed to provide transparent, open-access information that enables evidence-based decision-making in agriculture, environmental management, and land use planning.
