Cheap tablets can now measure farm sizes for aid programs

Aid programs can now use cheap tablet computers to measure farm sizes, instead of expensive handheld GPS devices. This makes it easier and cheaper to collect data on crop yields and agricultural production in developing countries.

For years, collecting accurate farm data in developing countries was slow and expensive, often relying on farmers' own estimates, which are frequently wrong. This study shows that widely available tablets can do the job almost as well as specialized GPS units. This means aid organizations and governments can now get better data on food production and poverty without a huge budget increase.