Chinese research institute wins 2026 FAO Achievement Award for crop monitoring platform

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Qu Dongyu (R) presents the 2026 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Achievement Award to Wu Bingfang, a researcher at the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) at the closing ceremony of the World Food Forum, in Rome, Italy, Oct. 16, 2026. The Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) won the 2026 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Achievement Award on Friday for developing the CropWatch, a global cloud-based crop monitoring service platform. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

ROME, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS) won the 2026 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Achievement Award on Friday for developing the CropWatch, a global cloud-based crop monitoring service platform.

The award was presented at the closing ceremony of the World Food Forum, hosted by FAO in Rome, Italy.

Developed by a team led by Wu Bingfang, a researcher at AIRCAS, the platform has helped more than 40 countries and regions monitor crop conditions and supports food security policymaking based on scientific data, according to the research team.

In announcing the award, FAO recognized the platform for transforming complex crop monitoring into an accessible, open cloud service and making it widely available around the world.

According to the research team, the platform has been integrated into FAO's Hand-in-Hand Geospatial Platform and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Knowledge Hub. It serves as an important channel and an independent source of timely crop monitoring information for users worldwide.

The team also regularly publishes the CropWatch Bulletin based on the platform, providing the public with a reliable source of agricultural monitoring information. The bulletin has served users in 173 countries and regions to date, said the team.

Speaking to Xinhua after receiving the award, Wu said the recognition affirmed the team's more than three decades of dedication.

"This is not the end, but a milestone on a new journey ahead," he said.

Wu said the team would continue to enhance the platform's innovative capabilities, ease of use and capacity to serve international users, while deepening cooperation with FAO and other international organizations. The team aims to help more countries strengthen their independent crop monitoring capabilities and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goal of "zero hunger."

The FAO Achievement Award recognizes individuals or institutions for outstanding achievements in areas including fisheries, forestry, climate, land and water, and animal and plant health, particularly in sustainable agriculture and rural development and food security.