Accurate and timely information on crops is essential for national and regional food security

market planning

and social stability. All stakeholders（ e. g.

decision makers

traders

farmers） need reliable and up-to-date crop monitoring information whenever and wherever possible. A comprehensive online platform for global crop monitoring ought to be established to provide customers with a variety of real-time

easily accessible

and efficient services

such as raw data

information

maps

and analytical tools. The emergence of cloud computing provides a good opportunity to build such a global crop monitoring instrument. After a detailed inventory of the status

scope

and technological basis of existing cloud and remote sensing-based global crop monitoring systems

this study focuses on the relevance of Crop Watch Cloud. The basic design concept

design framework

and main contents of Crop Watch Cloud service platform are described

which will incorporate expert knowledge

advanced IT technology

and data resources. A virtuous cycle will be built to bridge science

technology

services

and applications. A prototype of Crop Watch online was developed; users can query and download time series of crop monitoring indicators at different scales. The prototype of Crop Watch online is an important part of Crop Watch Cloud; it provides a downloading service for crop information

also stores and manages a long-term series of crop monitoring data and results. The evolvement of a local crop monitoring application into a convenient web-based application with multiple-terminal support is the key of the Crop Watch Cloud project. The developed design framework will provide theoretical guidance and a sound basis for the construction of the Crop Watch Cloud service platform. This platform will change the application patterns and promote the industrialization of agricultural remote sensing monitoring.