Workshop on Use of Major Databases and their Applications in
Support of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies
Bangkok, Thailand, 10 - 14 May 2004

BACKGROUND

To support global efforts to reduce poverty and improve food security conditions and agricultural planning, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Association of Food and Agricultural Marketing Agencies in Asia and the Pacific (AFMA), organized a Workshop on Use of Major Databases and their Applications in Support of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies . The workshop was held from 10 to 14 May 2004 at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.

PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP

The workshop aims to assist countries in utilizing a food security data system in the framework of an integrated system of agricultural statistics. The workshop provided a forum for senior statistical personnel in the countries of the region to discuss relevant issues associated with the use and dissemination of food and agricultural statistics in support of national food security concerns and agricultural development programmes.

Summary outline of the workshop:

• The demand of international statistics in support of agricultural and rural development policies
• Description of major databases, such as the ones from FAO, WB, OECD, ILO, IMF
• Hands-on training on computer : access to these databases
• Use of data from international databases for national analysis
• Hands-on training on computer : analysis of agricultural survey and census data for calculating indicators

PARTICIPANTS

Senior officers from the Statistics Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture or the National Statistical Office, responsible for the analysis and dissemination of food and agricultural statistics, from the following 18 Asian countries were invited to the workshop: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Resource persons from ESCAP and ILO and representatives from the FAO Statistics Division in Rome as well as the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific also participated in the workshop.

The list of Participants is available.

DOCUMENTS

The programme and the summary report of the meeting are available.

CONTACT

For all information, person to contact:

Mr Hiek Som
Chief,
Surveys and Statistical Development Service,
FAO Statistics Division
Hiek.Som@fao.org

Tel. (39-06) 570-55070
Fax: (39-06) 570-55615