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

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 support food security policymaking based on scientific data, the research team said.

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

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, the team said.

After receiving the award, Wu said the recognition affirmed the team's more than three decades of dedication.

"Whether in the systematization of data processing, or in many of our distinctive technologies, especially in making full use of remote sensing information to obtain accurate agricultural condition data, we have done relatively well," 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."

"Technology is advancing rapidly, especially in the field of Earth observation data. Our country holds many advantages in this area, and we should fully develop and leverage these strengths to further drive technological innovation. By doing so, we can make our systems more effective, more efficient, and more user-friendly, ultimately enabling us to serve the world even better," said Wu.

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.

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

President of Botswana Duma Gideon Boko said on Thursday that he welcomes the recent upgrading of bilateral ties with China and stressed adherence to the "principle of mutuality" in advancing the bilateral relationship, recalling Botswana's pivotal vote decades ago to restore the People's Republic of China (PRC)'s lawful seat at the United Nations.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Boko shared the major agreement he and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached in their talks on Tuesday, during his recent six-day state visit to China that began on Monday at the invitation of Xi. It is Boko's first state trip to China since taking office in November 2024.

The two presidents announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership -- another major step in deepening China-Botswana diplomatic ties since their establishment in 1975. This builds on the strategic partnership the two countries formed in September 2024.

"The first one, and most important, is the elevation of the relations between China and Botswana from where they were to the level of strategic partnership, cooperative level. That is very, very important. That is now a heightening, raising of the profile of the relationship between the countries. It is now a deepening of the opportunities available under this relationship," he said.

During the talks, Xi recalled the moment in the 1970s when Botswana voted in support of restoring the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the UN. He urged efforts from both countries to "remember the path we have traveled of mutual support and reliance and follow the broad road of developing China-Botswana relations in the new era."

Echoing Xi, Boko told the CMG that Botswana made a "critical" decision when casting that vote in favor of the PRC, calling it a moment of historical importance that has ushered in the strengthening relationship between the two countries today.

"The history is important and instructive. Back in 1971 before Botswana and China had any deep relations, at the United Nations, when a vote had to be cast for the readmission of (the People's Republic of) China, Botswana took a principled position and cast a vote in favor of the readmission of (the People's Republic of) China. That is critical. That is a history that the relationship between these two countries is built on. And so, to invoke that history is to remind both countries that their relationship is based on principle, it's based on deep mutual respect. And that principle of mutuality between the countries must [be] abided [by] now and into the future," he said.

Botswana's president welcomes upgraded ties with China, stresses 'mutuality' in advancing relationship