Issues in constructing a Handbook on Statistics on Rural Development and Agricultural Household Income Mary Bohman Economic Research Service On behalf of Berkeley Hill and Jan Karlsson

Quote from paper (p3) “Policy is likely to be more effective if the design and operation of programmes are based on reliable information about the extent of the problems the policy is attempting to tackle and how they are changing over time”. “Statistics clearly play an important part in this by helping establish base-lines and in assessing the extent to which policy actions using public funds have led to improvements over time”.

The need for a Handbook Many examples are found in which Handbooks or Manuals are the basis of good quality, internationally comparable statistics (SNA, Canberra Group on household incomes etc.) IWG-Agri identified the need for a Handbook that covered Rural policy Agricultural household income

Issues in compiling the Handbook One handbook or two? Coverage of countries at all levels of development? Descriptive or prescriptive? Final or an evolving working document?

Practicalities IWG-Agri formed the background Task Force set up – 5 meetings Two general editors appointed Contributing experts invited Review of contents by entire Task Force Endorsed by the Joint Meeting on Food and Agriculture Statistics (2005), and by Un Conference of European Statisticians (2006)

Main contents Introduction Part A – Rural development Part B – Agricultural household income Each contains: description of policies; main concepts behind the statistics; inventory of national statistics and basic findings; review of data sources Recommendations for good practice

Dissemination Electronic versions initially (2005) on UNECE and FAO websites (files now under FAO care) CD version available (UNECE and ERS) ERS provided publicity material

Dissemination (cont.) Hardcopy version published by UNECE (editorial revisions carried over to electronic versions) Already evidence of use (Eurostat 2007 feasibility study on farm household incomes)

Updating/improvement Formation of the Wye City Group successor to the Task Force Endorsed by UN Statistical Commission 2007 First meeting 8-9 April in York (England) develop work plan of updating/improvement Expand membership to other countries concerned with rural development and agricultural household income statistics