African Commission on Agricultural Statistics

Origin & Purpose
Sessions
Contributions
Membership

Origin of the African Commisison on Agricultural Statistics

The FAO Conference at its Eleventh Session (1961) approved the creation of the regional Agricultural Statistical Commission for Africa. The Commission was accordingly established by the Director-General in October, 1962.

Purpose of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics

To review the state of food and agricultural statistics in the Region; to advise member countries on the development and standardization of agricultural statistics within the general framework of FAO's work in statistics; and to convene study groups or other subsidiary bodies of national experts required for this purpose.

Sessions

16th. Session. - Guinea, Conakry. 28-1 July 1999

15th. Session. - Accra, Ghana. 28-31 October 1997

14th. Session. - Dakar, Senegal. 21-25 March 1994

13th.Session - Gaborone,Botswana, 28Nov.-16Dec. 1991

12th. Session - Rabat, Morocco.13-23 Nov. 1989

11th. Session - Arusha, Tanzania. 31Aug.- 4 Sept. 1987

10th. Session - Port Louis, Mauritius, 26-30Mar.1984

9th. Session - Lomé, Togo. 19-23 Oct. 1981

8th. Session - Accra, Ghana, 29 May-3 June 1978

7th. Session - Abidjan, Cotê d'Ivoire.28 Jan.-3.Feb.1975

6th. Session - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 12-17 Nov.1973

5th. Session - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1-5 Nov. 1971

4th. Session - Algiers, Algeria 15-20 Dec. 1969

3rd. Session - Kampala, Uganda 17-23 Dec. 1966

2nd.Session - AddisAbaba,Ethiopia 24Aug.-1Sept.1964

1st. Session - Tunis,Tunisia 22-27October, 1962

Contributions

Through the Commission, the FAO in recent years has been able to intensify its efforts to develop Food and Agriculture Statistics in countries of the region, particularly in the conduct of national censuses of agriculture within a common framework of definitions, concepts, standards and guidelines to help countries generate databases that are internationally comparable and the provision of basic statistics on food security in a manner readily adaptable to understanding the food security situation.

National Agricultural Statistical User/Producer Workshops have been organized in various African countries which helped to improve their agricultural data collection process.

The reinforcement of gender concerns in agricultural statistical data collection exercises has been undertaken in several countries. In order to ensure a sustainable collection of improved gender disaggregated data, the scope of these exercises has been extended to include sensitizing planners and others on the need to increase the availability and use of gender disaggregated agricultural statistical information in gender relevant planning of agricultural development programmes.

A manual "Conducting Agricultural Censuses and Surveys" has been published and distributed to countries. A new manual has also been produced by FAO on current agricultural surveys using multiple frame probability sampling methods which incorporates the use of remote sensing techniques for area frame construction.

Guidelines for updating fishery statistics in countries of the region have been revised and made available to countries.

Consultations on Forestry Statistics have been held and assistance has been provided for implementing forestry statistics projects.

Membership

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