Global Strategy to improve agricultural and rural statistics

The Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (Global Strategy) was developed as a blueprint for a coordinated and long-term initiative to address the decline in the agricultural statistical systems of many developing countries. The Global Strategy was designed to provide a “framework for national and international statistical systems enabling developing countries to produce, and to apply, the basic data and information needed in the 21st Century”. From its very inception, the Global Strategy was designed as a 15-year process to be implemented in several phases.

During its first phase of implementation (2012–2018), the Global Strategy was centered on three pillars outputs produced through three technical components: Methodological Research, Technical Assistance and Training implemented in two regions: Africa and Asia and the Pacific.

Significant results have been achieved: i) agricultural statistical methods have been completely upgraded and endorsed by FAO, ii) Strategic Plans for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (SPARS)have been prepared in almost 40 countries, iii) a fast-track model of technical assistance has been successfully implemented and iv) tangible progress has been made in countries’ overall capacity through regional training programmes.

The second phase of the Global Strategy (GSARS II 2020-2025), starting in 2021, will focus on the application and use of existing methodologies and approaches developed in the framework of the first phase. GSARS II will continue its work aimed at strengthening the statistical capacities of countries through the provision of training and technical assistance at national, regional and global level. The work of the Global Strategy will be interlinked with the activities of the 50x2030 Initiative to close the agricultural data gap, aimed at collecting data in 50 low income and lower middle-income countries by 2030.

Support will include:

i) assistance in the design of strategic plans for agricultural statistics;

ii) training in agricultural statistics and provision of scholarships; and

iii) technical assistance and training on tools, methodologies for data collection, data analysis and dissemination.