1. Global Strategy for the Improvement of Agricultural Statistics
20/04/2017
FAO-OEA/CIE-IICA Working Group on Agricultural and Livestock Statistics for Latin America and the Caribbean (25th Session) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,10-12 November 2009
Global Strategy for the Improvement of Agricultural Statistics
Statistics Division

2. Overview of the presentation
What is the global strategy?
Why do we need a global strategy?
Key components of the strategy
Governance to meet strategic goals
Worldwide consultation on the Strategy
Capacity building and the way forward

3. What is the global the Global Strategy?
An initiative of the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) = apex entity of the global statistical system;
Partnership between International Agencies, developed and developing countries
2 intergovernmental process for its adoption:
UNSC and National Statistical Offices
FAO Governing Bodies and Ministries of Agriculture
Long-term plan to respond to the statistical needs of the 21st century (a living document)
Feasible and sustainable for developing countries
Basis for a renewed initiative of capacity building in agricultural statistics: mobilization of resources

4. Decisions of the 40th UN Statistical Commission
A global strategy is needed to meet the increasing demand for information at both the international and country levels;
Agricultural and rural statistics are essential for policymaking and Agricultural Ministries have an important role to play in the compilation of agricultural statistics;
FAO should lead the development of the global strategy, involving the Ministries of Agriculture through its governing bodies;
A Friends of the Chair group (FoC) is established to steer the process, with FAO and the United Nations Statistics Division serving as secretariat;
Friends of the Chair group to report back on the progress made to the UNSC at its 41st session.

5. Actions taken by FAO
Facilitating the creation of the Friends of the Chair group of the UN Statistical Commission
Working with partners to prepare the background document
Organizing a series of meetings in which the new global strategy on Agricultural Statistics will be reviewed

6. Members of the FoC Group of the UNSC
Brazil (chair)
Australia
China
Cuba
Ethiopia
Italy
Morocco
Philippines
Russian Federation
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
USA
FAO (secretariat)
UNSD (secretariat)
EUROSTAT (observer)
World Bank (observer)

7. Preparation of the background document
ESS working closely with other international development partners (World Bank, African Development Bank, EUROSTAT, PARIS21, UN Statistics Division, US Dept of Agriculture)
ESS coordinating input from all FAO Departments with substantial statistical work
A draft of the Global Strategy was discussed at a Satellite Meeting of the ISI, Maputo, August 2009
Detailed review and validation of the Strategy by more than 100 Senior experts from all regions
A more strategic document explaining the process followed and the steps ahead of us is available for this meeting and will be discussed at the FAO Conference, Nov. 2009

8. Meetings to discuss the strategy
20/04/2017
Meetings to discuss the strategy
Seminar with FAO Permanent Representatives, Rome, 22 June 2009
Satellite Meeting of the ISI, Maputo August 2009
FAO Regional Consultations (Bangkok, Accra, Rio de Janeiro)
PARIS21 Consortium Meeting, Dakar, November 2009
The FAO Conference, Rome, November 2009
UN Statistical Commission, February 2010, for final endorsement
Implementation plan of the Global Strategy will be prepared in 2010
Statistics represent an essential input into the analytical work of the Organisation.
Data are collected, mainly from Member governments, and are converted, as much as possible, onto an internationally comparable basis. Statistics are then made available for internal use and most of them are then published in both printed and electronic form for use by the general public.
In collaboration with statisticians from member countries and other international organisations, the FAO develops data systems to respond to policy concerns in areas such as national accounts, environment, and service industries. 8

9. Why do we need a global strategy?
Basic data requirements are not met, especially in devel. countries
countries’ capacity in agricultural statistics declined since early ’80s
declining resources allocated to agricultural statistics by countries and development partners (low priority)
Emerging data needs (impact of agr. on environment; investment in agr.; biofuels; water and land use, etc.)
Need of a new conceptual framework
Agricultural statistics not integrated in the National Statistical System
Lack of coordination between NSO & Min. of Agriculture
National Statistical Plan do not cover agricultural stat.
 Lack of sound basis for agricultural development and food security policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

10. Response rates low & declining

11. Current status of agricultural statistics
Declining number of countries reporting basic production
Loss of statistical capacity
Agriculture left out of National Strategies for Development of Statistics
Duplicative efforts-conflicting numbers
Forestry, fisheries outside national and agricultural systems

12. Statistics current status The Dilemma – who does what?
National Statistics Offices
Ministry – Departments of Agriculture
Land Management/Natural Resources Agencies
Marketing Boards/ Commissions
Health, education agencies
Development efforts by donors, WB
Each Collects
data for own use
with results that
do not always
agree – and limited
ability to
share data

13. Assessment of Agricultural Statistics
The assessment remains to be completed
Need for a standard assessment framework similar to the one used for the national statistical system
The scope of capacity building initiatives will depend on the assessment of the statistical system to meet the requirements of the global strategy

14. Governance and Statistical Capacity Building
Key components of the Global Strategy
Data requirements and
Conceptual Framework
Integrate
Agriculture into
National statistics
System
Methodology to
Integrate
Agriculture
Menu of indicators
Minimum set of
“core-national”
Data items
Integrated Survey
Framework
Master
Sample
Frame
Integrated
Data Base
Governance and Statistical Capacity Building

15. Conceptual Framework Natural Environment, Outcomes and Institutional
(climate, soil, water)
Outcomes and
Results
(National income,
Food security)
Institutional
Framework
(Markets, government
Global economy)
The production process
(growing crops, raising livestock,
Fish capture, timber removals)
Socio-economic,
Political
(Households, holdings’
enterprises
Output and
Utilization
Food, feed, seed,
Fiber, Etc.
Inputs to
Production
(labor, capital, land,
Feed, seed, Etc.)

16. Conceptual Framework
Based on good understanding of the user requirements
Provides a ‘roadmap’ for the development of Agr. statistics. Not methodological guidance nor stipulate what should be produced by countries
Facilitates the integration, and therefore the comparability, of statistics
Components: Scope, Data elements, Organization, Coverage, Units and Classifications

17. Conceptual Framework: Components
Scope: should cover not only economic but also social and environmental dimensions;
Data Items: linking items from different dimensions
Organization: SNA for the economic statistics; SEEA for environmental statistics; Social statistics? SAM? Wye Handbook?
Coverage: all activities within the scope of agricultural statistics without any cut-offs on the basis of size, importance, location etc.
Units: economic statistics = farm business; social statistics = household; environmental statistics = land parcel.
Classifications: ISIC = agricultural activities; CPC = agricultural commodities; ISCO = agricultural occupations; Classifications of land + forest cover and land use

18. Menu of Data Items Meets basic and emerging requirements:
Metadata to estimate each indicator, sources,
Technical notes/ classifications, etc
More than any one country can do annually
Shows where data are overlapping (crop production/ land/water use/ input use, etc.)
Determine a minimum subset of core all countries agree to provide annually
Evaluate national needs to select additional items, determine frequency

19. Choice of Core Data Items for International Reporting
About 15 major commodities account for over 95 percent of world production
Production, prices, trade,--balances
Value added, food security, productivity
Land, water use
Plus Forestry, aquaculture & fishery
Major economic variables
Labor, household income, agricultural income inputs, demographics, consumption

20. Additional Items for National Statistical System
Factors to determine inclusion of additional crops and livestock items. Ranking of items by:
Percent of land/water use
Percent value of production
Percent of HH/enterprises producing
Distributions by size
Scale—affect on environment, climate
Permanent or temporary

21. Developing Master Sampling Frame
Geo
reference
Census of
Population
And Housing
Area
Frame/ classified
By land use via
Remote sensing
Rural HH
Primary Sampling
Units
Villages/clusters
Farm HH
Non
Household
Enterprises
Census
Enumeration
areas Ag
Census
Sample
Grids
points
Master Sampling Frame

22. Integrated Data collection & Survey Framework
Annual Survey(s) core & National
Household holdings & enterprises
Periodic surveys,
(2-5 year cycles)
Semi-
Annual
Quarterly
Monthly
Integrated
Data Bases
Supply and utilization, income, &
Environmental accounts,
Food Balances, etc.
Administrative
Data
Remote
Sensing
Agri
businesses
Windshield
Surveys
Community
Surveys

23. Integrated data bases Data Warehouse of Official Macro Statistics
Harmonized definitions and classifications
Each item appear one time; i.e. one official number for everything from population, GDP, to maize forecast or production.
Micro data—long term view
Connect across surveys & over time
Increase analytical capabilities

24. The governance challenge
How coordinate efforts of Ministries of Agriculture, National Statistical Offices, and others?
Who does what—Master sample frame, Integrated Survey Frame work, Integrated data base?
Starting point—form a Statistical Council
Build off strengths of each stakeholder
Technical expertise
Subject matter knowledge

25. The governance challenge
Role of national organizations
Add agriculture (forestry and fisheries) to National Strategies for Development of Statistics
Focus fund raising on national statistical system
Role of international organizations
Focus capacity building and support for statistics on overall national statistical system
Centers of excellence-statistics (e.g. remote sensing)
Role of Donors
Work with Statistical Council instead of separate sectors

26. Capacity Building Challenge
Building the basic statistical infrastructure (frames; master samples; etc.)
Education and training on statistical methodology, technology (GPS), remote sensing
Data analysis—how to use the data to answer policy questions?
Build a sustainable system

27. Areas needing further research
Crop yield forecasts and estimates
Multi-cropping
Root crops
Use of remote sensing with ground truth
Sampling and survey methodology for integrated survey framework
Use of remote sensing to monitor land use-early warning capabilities
Geo referencing survey data with satellite digitized frame
Multi-purpose statistical framework about the interrelationships between the economy, environment and society for agriculture and rural development

28. Worldwide Consultation on the Strategy
National input—Min of AG, National Statistical Offices & other stakeholders
Review and update National Strategies for Development of Statistics
International input from stakeholders
ISI Satellite meeting on agricultural statistics
Global written consultation
4 Task Teams of the FOC to revise key parts of the document: conceptual framework; menu of indicators; integrated survey framework; assessment framework
Develop final strategy for 2010 UNSC
Develop Implementation Plan

29. Thank you for your attention!