Earth observation and crop monitoring on a massive scale are neither easy nor inexpensive exercises. However, both hold immense potential for better food security planning and progress toward Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, many developing countries do not have access to the required tools due to technological deficits or associated costs.
To overcome the challenge, the CropWatch Innovative Cooperation Programme (Crop Watch-ICP) was launched, which is a collaborative initiative launched and implemented by the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), and the Alliance for International Science Organisations (ANSO). The programme aims to empower selected developing countries by leveraging satellite technology and remote sensing for advanced agricultural monitoring, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger. CropWatch platform integrates multi-sources of data on crop condition, area, yield, stress, pest and disease to support informed decision-making and enhance farm management practices.
The Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI) has been actively involved in several activities through the CropWatch-ICP since 2021. Crop Watch experts will conduct an on-site training workshop at FAREI from 18th to 19th September 2025, for further training to FAREI staff on the use of Satellite Technology for Crop Monitoring and its other applications to ensure more experts from the FAREI obtaining the capacity of the remote sensing-based crop monitoring as well as the field data collection. This training will focus on the in-situ data collection as well as the practical application of latest version of CropWatch Cloud to monitor the area of interests from different users.
The workshop aims to enhance the technical capacity of FAREI and other agencies under the Ministry to use remote sensing technology for agricultural monitoring and early warning, and to develop autonomous capabilities in satellite-based crop monitoring, supporting national food security strategies and the achievement of SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Another essential objective is to foster a collaborative network between FAREI researchers and international experts from AIRCAS, ANSO, and UNCTAD.
