Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region
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 The second pillar is the integration of agriculture into National Statistical Systems (NSS) in
order to satisfy the demands of policymakers and other users who rely on comparable
data across locations and over time. The integration is to be achieved by implementing a
set of methodologies that includes the development of a master sample frame for
agriculture, the implementation of an integrated survey framework, and with results
available in a data management system.
 The third pillar is the foundation that will provide the sustainability of the National
Agricultural Statistical System (NASS) through governance and statistical capacity
building.
The FAO – one of the principal partners of the Global Strategy – compiles statistics from 245
countries and 35 regional areas in 10 main domains. These are namely production, trade, food
supply, agro-environment, food balance sheet, prices, resources, emissions, investment and
more than 50 further sub-domains. The agricultural statistics database FAOSTAT, compiled
and managed by FAO, is one of the largest integrated statistical databases in the world. It is the
only comprehensive and integrated international database on food and agriculture in the
world, which compiles and disseminates 3 million time series information on more than 1,000
commodities. The information in FAOSTAT is many times more complete and integrated than
the national statististical databases of most of the FAO member countries. This is because
FAOSTAT makes use of data from different countries, sources, mirror images, estimations and
projections. It is not unusual for countries to use the FAOSTAT database for compiling
information on national agriculture. FAOSTAT is therefore an important indicator of the
availability and quality of agricultural statistics in FAO member countries. FAO statistics
division dispatches seven annual questionnaires, covering agricultural production, producer
prices, land use, pesticides, fertilizers, machinery, and government expenditure in agriculture.
In few exceptions, no response to FAO questionnaires and missing data in FAOSTAT imply that
no data was availabile domestically. FAO regularly monitors responses to its questionnaires.
Recent reviews were analyzed and reported in its regional statutory bodies, namely African
Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS), Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural
Statistics (APCAS), Working Group on Agricultural and Livestock Statistics for Latin America
and the Caribbean (FAO-OEA/CIE-IICA) and Study Group on Food and Agriculture Statistics in
Europe (FAO/ECE/CES).
COMCEC Member Countries are scattered throughout the regions and sub-regions covered by
the first three statutory bodies (as listed above) for which FAO statistics division conducted
reviews on responses to its questionnaires. Table 4 and A3.3 summarize the correspondence
between COMCEC Member Countries and the Regional Office for Africa (RAF), Regional Office
for Asia and Pacific (RAP), AFCAS and APCAS. 54 of COMCEC Members fall into these groups.
The three remaining members are in Southern Europe (Albania) and in South America
(Suriname and Guyana).