USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has released an innovative geospatial data product: the Hawaii Cropland Data Layer. This high-resolution, crop-specific dataset — the first of its kind for the Aloha State — was made publicly available on Aug. 25 via NASS’s geospatial portals, CroplandCROS and AgriWatch, according to a news release.
NASS collaborated with the University of Hawaii at Manoa to develop HCDL using Google Earth Engine and Google’s DeepMind AI-powered dataset. Developed at a 10-meter resolution, the Hawaii Cropland Data Layer provides a detailed, geo-referenced view of the state’s agricultural landscape for the 2023 and 2024 crop years.
This marks another significant milestone for NASS after the release of the 10-meter resolution Cropland Data Layer for the U.S. mainland, as it is the agency’s first successful effort to map the extent of Hawaii agriculture with high accuracy and crop specificity.
The Cropland Data Layer program uses satellite imagery to:
- Provide interactive visualization and querying capability to explore the HCDL agricultural data product.
- Generate categorized digital outputs that support agricultural research, policy development and disaster response.
- Provides a unique crop-specific land cover classification of Hawaii identifying major planted crops.
This first-ever product was developed under the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems grant program. The project, titled AgriWatch: Innovating Agricultural Disaster Response With AI-Empowered Real-Time Monitoring, is funded under award number [2024-68016-41561].
“The Hawaii Cropland Data Layer represents a major advancement in our ability to understand and support agriculture in the United States,” says NASS Administrator Joseph L. Parsons. “For the first time, we can provide highly accurate, crop-specific data that not only supports local food security but also honors the cultural significance of crops like taro, sweet potatoes, macadamia, coffee, banana and other exotic fruits.”
In addition to enhancing data accuracy, the Hawaii Cropland Data Layer highlights the state’s vital role in the national food supply by mapping unique and significant crops, thereby supporting local food resilience.
NASS says it plans to release Hawaii Cropland Data Layer for the 2025 crop year in February 2026.
