FAO coarse resolution spatial datasets

FAO produces a large number of Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets for monitoring, assessment and analysis of environmental and socio-economic factors causing poverty and food insecurity. Particular relevance is given to malnutrition, farming systems and crops, livestock production systems, fishery and forestry sectors, agro-ecological zoning, land and water resources management and climate related issues.

FAO's most relevant GIS information at global, continental and sub-continental levels is now made available through this website.

The data contained in FAO core spatial datasets website share the following characteristics: 

- Coarse resolution data, between 30 arcsec and 10 arcmin for the rasters, and between 1:1 million and 1:10 million scale for the vectors.
- Related to a global, continental or regional ((sub)continental) level. Country data are not considered at this stage.
- FAO as the main producer of the data or with publication rights as partner of a group that released the data.
- Data release and access is unrestricted (public domain).
- Primary (observed, mapped) and modeled data qualify.

The FAO Core datasets are described through their own ISO standard metadata and are available for download on the GeoNetwork catalogue at http://www.fao.org/geonetwork.

FAO hopes that the whole geospatial user community will find the Core Datasets a valuable contribution to the use of geospatial information for mapping of socio-economic data and environmental related features.