Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region
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 Metadata: With the use of the internet, there is an influx of information and statistics
available from various sources with different definitions and quality, yet often it is not
possible to differentiate due to limited metadata. Therefore, metadata is now an essential
complement of statistical data.
 Common Definitions and Classifications: The use of international and consistent
national classifications and definitions is a must for the integration of information at all
levels. 12
1.5 The Norm Setting International Organizations in Agricultural
Statistics
Some international organizations play significant roles in the domain of agricultural statistics
in various capacities, as: a), as user of national data; b), as host of an international database; c),
as financial supporter of statistical projects; d), as provider of technical support; and e), as
coordinator or provider of standard setting platforms. The international organizations are also
the norm setters in agricultural statistics and are behind initiatives such as the Global
Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics and Data Quality Assessment
Frameworks.
FAO is the largest provider of international agricultural statistics. It compiles and disseminates
data at the national level on production, consumption, trade, producer prices, resources, food
security, commodity markets, land tenure and land distribution. The FAO’ s main database -
FAOSTAT – provides more than 1 billion data points on 50+ sub-domains, over 45 years, for
1000+ commodities and 200+ countries and territories.
The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) also has a general coordination role for statistics
among the United Nations (UN) agencies. It compiles and disseminates data on commodity and
trade (COMTRADE), population, industry including agro-industry, national accounts and
energy. It also manages UN data which disseminates second-hand data and indicators on
various domains including agriculture.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) compiles and disseminates
first-hand data for its member countries on environment, agricultural support, migration,
investment, official development assistance (ODA), and research and development (R&D). The
rest of the information disseminated on agriculture is second-hand from UNSD, FAO,
International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and EU.
The EU, through its databases - EUROSTAT and farm accountancy data network (FADN) -
compiles and disseminates data on farm accounts, supply utilization accounts, resources,
holding structure, food chain, producer prices, consumer price index (CPI) for its member and
candidate countries.
12 Kasnakoglu, 2005.