THE GROUP ON EARTH OBSERVATIONS (GEO) IS A COORDINATION BODY THAT AIMS TO ENHANCE THE USE OF EARTH OBSERVATIONS (EO) IN ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING THROUGH GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS DATA PROVIDERS AND EXPERTISE IN INDUSTRY. GEO S VISION IS TO LEVERAGE THESE RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCES TO CREATE A GLOBAL EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS (GEOSS). RECENTLY TO BROADEN THE REACH GEO LAUNCHED REGIONALIZED EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT GEOSS FOR EXAMPLE IN THE AMERICAS VIA AMERIGEOSS. THE GEO WORK PROGRAMME 2017-2019 PLACES AN EMPHASIS ON STRENGTHENING AMERIGEOSS AS A MEANS OF REACHING THEIR BROADER PROGRAMMATIC GOALS ALTHOUGH AT PRESENT IT LACKS THE NECESSARY FUNDING AND COORDINATION PARTICULARLY IN ITS FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (FSSA) AREA. THIS PROPOSAL RESPONDS TO THIS COORDINATION DEARTH AND TO THE SOLICITATION NNH16ZDA001N-GEO: GROUP ON EARTH OBSERVATIONS WORK PROGRAMME BY MEETING SPECIFIC WELL-DEFINED NEEDS OF GEO AND GEOSS. IT TARGETS THE FSSA WORKING GROUP AS WELL AS EFFORTS RELATED TO AMERIGEOSS FOUNDATIONAL TASKS INCLUDING COMMUNITY BUILDING CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCING DATA DISCOVERABILITY ACCESS AND USE IN SUPPORT OF DECISION MAKING AROUND FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURE. THE PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES OF OUR PROPOSAL INCLUDE: 1. SUPPORT FOR FOUNDATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND COORDINATION OF THE AMERIGEOSS FSSA WORKING GROUP (WG) AS WELL AS ITS PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING NETWORK THE GEO GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL MONITORING (GEOGLAM) LATINOAM RICA REGIONAL INITIATIVE THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AMERICAS AGRICULTURAL MONITORING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (AMERICAS AG COP). 2. MULTI-LEVEL STAKEHOLDER NEEDS ASSESSMENTS ON EO DATA AND INFORMATION NEEDS AND GAPS DRAWN FROM FARMER CONSORTIA NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MINISTRIES AND REGIONAL MONITORING GROUPS. 3. PILOT PROJECTS TOWARD OPERATIONALIZATION OF IN-DEMAND CUSTOMIZED DATA VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS SYSTEMS WHICH ENHANCE THE USE OF NASA S EARTH OBSERVATIONS (MODIS/VIIRS) FOR AGRICULTURAL MONITORING BUILDING ON EXISTING SYSTEM DEVELOPED AT UMD. 4. PLAN FOR SUSTAINABILITY BEYOND THE PROPOSAL LIFETIME VIS- -VIS SERVING AS A SEED GRANT FOR CONTINUED NATIONAL PARTICIPATION IN AND LEADERSHIP OF THE FSSA WG. WE WILL CONSULT CLOSELY WITH GEO PRINCIPALS AND EMBASSIES IN AMERICAS CAUCUS COUNTRIES TO IDENTIFY WG MEMBERSHIP; HOLD OUTREACH AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS DRIVEN BY A PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT BUILT FROM BEST-PRACTICES FOUND IN GRAY WHITE AND FORMAL LITERATURE; PURSUE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT FROM THE RELATED NETWORKS LED BY MEMBERS OF THE PROPOSAL TEAM; DEVELOP THOROUGH DOCUMENTATION ON IMPLEMENTATION GOALS PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE FSSA WG; AND COORDINATE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE WG. WE WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING NASA APPLIED SCIENCES INVESTMENTS AND ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS IN BRAZIL ARGENTINA AND CHILE TO ENHANCE THROUGH CO-DESIGN NATIONALLY-TAILORED BUT GENERALIZABLE WEB-ENABLED AGRICULTURAL MONITORING PLATFORMS WHICH UTILIZE NASA DATA FOR NEAR-REAL-TIME CROPLAND MONITORING. THE PROPOSED WORK CAPITALIZES UPON OUTREACH COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COORDINATION ACTIVITIES ALREADY INITIATED THROUGH THE PI S LEADERSHIP OF THE FSSA WG COORDINATION OF GEOGLAM LATINOAM RICA AND ROLE AS PROGRAM SCIENTIST IN THE GEOGLAM SECRETARIAT ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH NASA APPLIED SCIENCES SUPPORT. HERS AND THE BROADER PROPOSAL TEAM S INVOLVEMENT IN AND LEADERSHIP OF RELATED INITIATIVES AND WGS WILL BE LEVERAGED TO BUILD COHERENCE ACROSS MULTIPLE EO-ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES. OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON SHARED NATIONAL PRIORITIES ENHANCED NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CAPACITY TO MONITOR FOOD SUPPLY AND ENABLE SCIENCE-BASED DECISION-MAKING AND ACTION TAKING AND A CLEAR DEMONSTRATION OF THE VALUE OF EO TO RELATED COMMUNITIES. THE OUTCOMES OF THE MULTI-LEVEL STAKEHOLDER NEEDS ASSESSMENTS WILL BE INVALUABLE IN FUTURE NASA MISSIONS AND APPLICATIONS.