The report presented before you is not only a routine outcome of CropWatch Global Crop Monitoring but also a testament to a significant milestone in the development journey of CropWatch.

Since the inaugural CropWatch global crop monitoring bulletin was officially published quarterly in both Chinese and English in November 2013, this bulletin has accompanied the global crop monitoring endeavor for over a decade. Looking back, we have consistently adhered to a foundation of remote sensing data and ground-based observations, conducting in-depth analyses of agro-meteorological conditions and crop production situations across the globe, major food-producing areas, and key grain-producing and exporting countries. Our goal has always been to capture the subtle fluctuations in food production amidst a complex and ever-changing natural environment.

To more promptly respond to the urgent expectations from all sectors for greater detail and timeliness in crop condition information, CropWatch underwent a structural revision starting in February 2025. This revision focuses on the production situation and output dynamics of global staple grain and oil crops; introduces high-resolution remote sensing data for more detailed area and yield monitoring in major producing countries and hotspots that profoundly impact the global food supply; innovatively employs the large language model, CropWatch GPT, to automatically conduct preliminary assessments of agro-meteorological conditions and production situations in major producing countries, significantly enhancing the efficiency of information analysis; and officially adjusts the publication frequency to a bimonthly report, meeting readers regularly at the end of February, April, June, August, October, and December each year. From quarterly to bimonthly reports, from macro overviews to detailed focus, from manual analysis to human-machine collaboration, every evolution of CropWatch is aimed at getting closer to the essence of science and better serving societal needs.

After a year of trial operation and technical refinement, starting from February 2026, the structure of the bulletin has been largely finalized, its scope of attention has been further expanded, and it now focuses intensively on 20 major producing countries—those ranking among the top 20 in grain output and top 15 in population. It provides in-depth analysis of their crop conditions and grain production, with a particular focus on extreme stress factors or sudden events that jeopardize crop growth. May it serve as a window for you to understand the world's agricultural situation, and we eagerly await your continued feedback and corrections, allowing us to witness together every advancement and breakthrough in crop monitoring technology.

Looking ahead, CropWatch will continue to open its monitoring platform, fostering an open and participatory crop monitoring ecosystem. It aims to provide researchers with a platform for testing crop monitoring algorithms, offer users professional crop condition information support, and supply institutions with customized autonomous monitoring systems, comprehensively enhancing the transparency and timeliness of global crop monitoring information.

Bingfang Wu

CropWatch Team

February 28, 2026