Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring

 

Providing relevant, timely and actionable Earth observations for global market transparency and food security

Earth Observations for Food Security

Goal

To increase market transparency and improve food security by providing timely, relevant, and actionable information on agricultural conditions and production outlooks globally.

Mission

To foster cooperation and enhance coordination in global agriculture monitoring by strengthening the international community's capacity to use coordinated Earth observations to support early warning and response to food emergencies, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Accord, and the Sendai Framework. 

Vision

To empower stakeholders with the knowledge and tools needed to achieve sustainable food production, enhance food security, and build resilience against climate change and disaster risks.

person holding brown round ornament
Our Purpose

To increase market transparency and improve food security by producing and disseminating relevant, timely, and actionable information on agricultural conditions and outlooks of production at national, regional, and global scales. We achieve this by strengthening the international community’s capacity to utilize coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained Earth observations.

man in brown shirt and brown pants holding a bucket
Our Approach

GEOGLAM is an open community built around a good intent and common interest in agricultural monitoring. The resource commitment of participants is based on “best efforts”. All who share the interests of the GEOGLAM community are welcome to join.

green corn plant field
white and brown beans on silver steel rack
Our Story

GEOGLAM was born from a vision to transform how the world monitors its food systems. Its roots go back to 2003, when the Integrated Global Observations of Land (IGOL) initiative began defining global land observation requirements, including agriculture. Over the next few years, researchers and organizations across the globe convened through a series of UN FAO and GEO-led workshops, laying the foundation for a coordinated approach to agricultural monitoring.

By 2007, this collaboration had grown into a global effort, uniting experts from over 25 organizations to chart a strategy for agricultural monitoring within the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Between 2008 and 2010, a series of international workshops refined best practices and, most importantly, forged the enduring partnerships that remain the cornerstone of GEOGLAM’s work today. During this period, the Joint Experiment on Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) was also launched, providing a collaborative research platform that continues to advance agricultural monitoring methods worldwide.

In 2011, at the request of the G20 Agriculture Deputies under the French Presidency, this community’s efforts came together in a proposal to coordinate global satellite-based crop monitoring. The proposal was endorsed by the G20 and launched as GEOGLAM at the Cannes Summit, alongside the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). Together, these initiatives aimed to reduce food price volatility and improve global food security through science-based, transparent data.

Today, GEOGLAM continues to grow as a GEO Flagship programme, supported by many of the same committed experts who helped shape its origins — a testament to the strength of this enduring global partnership.

Our Focus Areas

Agriculture Monitoring

Through collaboration with international, regional, and national partners, GEOGLAM continues to advance agricultural monitoring and support informed decision-making in the agricultural sector. GEOGLAM's operational agriculture monitoring activities span global, regional, and national levels, utilizing a range of tools and services to provide critical information on crop conditions and food security.

 

 

 

 

Research & Development

The data, science and technology surrounding agricultural monitoring is constantly evolving. Developing new or improved monitoring methods requires research and development with a view to practical implementation. In contrast to fundamental or exploratory research GEOGLAM R&D is driven by the practical needs of the targeted operational communities.

The Research Agenda represents the GEOGLAM communities’ efforts to identify and prioritize a set of topics, intended to help guide the GEOGLAM research community and provide direction to research funding agencies on research priorities.

Capacity Development

GEOGLAM Capacity development focuses on building technical skills, fostering collaborations, and ensuring sustainability of agricultural monitoring systems, through a range of global activities and efforts to enhance the ability of countries to utilize advanced technologies for agricultural monitoring, ultimately supporting global food security.

GEOGLAM as a bottom-up best-efforts community of practice is guided by the idea that inter- and intra-national collaboration and sharing of experiences, methods, data, and expertise can lead to a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Impact Stories

MEET OUR COMMUNITY

three persons farming on field

The heart of GEOGLAM is the many projects that contribute to GEOGLAM program mandate and outcomes. These projects are generally in-kind contributions from participating nations and institutions.

 

white wooden table with chairs

The Ex-Com comprises major contributors to the GEOGLAM work program, the Co-Chairs, regional and thematic leads, and the Program Director. It provides operational and strategic advice for the GEOGLAM work program, and through the Director reports on implementation progress.

 

three persons farming on field

The Co-chairs provide the strategic direction and leadership in fulfilling the GEOGLAM mandate and responding to the [emerging] global policy drivers in agriculture production and food security. The co-chairs are supported by both the Ex-Com and the Secretariat.

 

a group of people standing around a cow in a field

The Secretariat is the formal, outwardly liaising body of GEOGLAM to partner organizations including GEO. The Secretariat provides coordination and support for GEOGLAM initiatives and program reporting (eg. G20, GEO work programme, and GEO Programme Board as required), program outreach, and communications. 

Working Groups

Coming soon

Sharing knowledge, data, methods, and tools for the collection and harmonization of ground-based observations... 

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Coming soon

Strengthening individual, organisational, and institutional capacities to use Earth observation (EO) data for agricultural monitoring and food security decision-making.

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Coming soon

 

Read Our Blog

GEOGLAM @ GEO WEEK 2023

GEOGLAM @ GEO WEEK 2023

This year’s GEO Week and Ministerial Summit, held in Cape Town, South Africa, under the theme ‘The Earth is Talking’, was a defining moment for the GEOGLAM community. More than just a meeting of...

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