Data collection
In accordance to its mandate, FAO is responsible for the worldwide collection, validation and dissemination of data and information related to food and agriculture. As such, FAO collects relevant national statistical information on a regular basis.
The questionnaires designed by FAO are part of the organization's effort to systematically collect and report national data on a wide range of topics. The data collection processes presented below offer an entry point to each FAO questionnaire and provide up-to-date information on the data collection periods, as well as the primary focal point for each questionnaire and associated methodological resources. Such information is freely accessible and designed to inform data users and data providers on the FAO data collection and production practices.
- For more information regarding a specific questionnaire or data collection process, please contact the designated focal point in the organization.
- For general inquiries, please contact: [email protected].
Questionnaires
Agriculture
Crop and livestock
Purpose
To collect data on agricultural machinery and equipment on the quantity in use, quantities and values of production, as well as quantities and values of trade.
Outputs
Agricultural machinery and equipment are an integral part of the agricultural production process. These data are used to track and study issues related to the use, production and trade of agricultural machinery and equipment.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
Follow-up with countries non-respondent. Update agriculture machinery and equipment dataset with new available data published by countries. Filling data gaps as much as possible through estimation methodologies.
| Schedule | Transmission date: May Submission date: June |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology Data collection from questionnaires and additional sources: national census, national survey and national institute of statistics and international organizations. Data cleaning and processing based on the HS and CPC 2.1.; data integration across different harmonized sources. Filling data gaps through estimation methodologies. Integration with trade data from UNCOMTRADE. Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Veronica Boero |
Additional comments:
It is necessary to highlight that countries should be incentivized to reply to the questionnaire with data if they have or without data if they don’t have/collect. This would allow us to know whether the country possesses/collect this information.
Purpose
To provide staff, and other potential users, with an annual update of statistical information related to crop and livestock production and utilization.
Outputs
The questionnaire is sent annually to countries and collects national data referring to the past three years. These data include:
- Primary crop utilization data;
- Area harvested;
- Live animals number data;
- Primary livestock production and loss data;
- Oils utilization data;
- Selected derived agricultural commodities production data.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT and used as a basis to produce Food Balance Sheets.
| Schedule | Transmission date: April Submission date: May |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Vikas Rawal |
Purpose
To collect national data on production, agricultural use and other uses of fertilizers (both chemical and organic), annually.
Outputs
These data are relevant for the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (SEEA-AFF) physical flow accounts, for the core set of environmental statistics of the Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) 2013, and they are being used for the FAO report Progress Towards Sustainable Agriculture (PROSA) to measure "fertilizer risk" This dataset may also be useful to complement and/or crosscheck the farm survey results regarding sub-indicator "management of fertilizers" for SDG indicator 2.4.1.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT, FAO SDG data portal, FAODATA Explorer beta version and the Global SDG indicators database.
| Schedule | Transmission date: October Submission date: December |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Francesco Nicola Tubiello |
Purpose
To collect data on food losses, collected or estimated within countries, in order to increase the information base on SDG 12.3 and on food losses along the supply chain.
To collect both official and unofficial loss data to better estimating losses, identifying causes and critical loss points across commodities and countries.
Outputs
The official loss data covering the whole supply chain nationally will strengthen the quality of Supply Utilization Accounts / Food Balance Sheets and will be used to compile SDG 12.3.1.a Food Loss Index. Unofficial loss data, coming from studies with a limited scope or range will be used only for analytical and modelling purposes.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT and used as a basis to produce Food Balance Sheets.
SDG indicator 12.3.1.a will be made available on FAO SDG data portal, FAO Data Explorer beta version and the Global SDG indicators database.
| Schedule | Transmission date: May Submission date: November |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Carola Fabi |
Purpose
To collect national data on land use (primarily focusing on agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries), irrigation and agricultural practices, annually.
Outputs
These data are relevant for the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (SEEA-AFF) physical flow accounts (Component 2, Environmental Resources and their use, Sub-Component 2.3: Land, Topic 2.3.1), for the core set of environmental statistics of the Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) 2013, and they are also being used for the FAO report Progress Towards Sustainable Agriculture (PROSA) to normalize many of the proxy indicators in terms of agricultural area or in terms of area of cropland.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT.
| Schedule | Transmission date: October Submission date: December |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Francesco Nicola Tubiello |
Purpose
To collect data on pesticides use in the agricultural sector for crops, seeds and forestry, annually.
Outputs
To cover major pesticide types (Insecticides, Mineral Oils, Herbicides, Fungicides, Plant growth regulators and Rodenticides) and relevant chemical groups (Organo-phosphates, Phenoxy hormone products, Carbamates, etc.). Data are requested in quantity of active ingredients.
These data are relevant for the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (SEEA-AFF) physical flow accounts (table 4.7 "Physical flow account for pesticides"), for the core set of environmental statistics of the Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES) 2013, and they are being used for the FAO report Progress Towards Sustainable Agriculture (PROSA) to measure "pesticide risk".
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT.
| Schedule | Transmission date: October Submission date: December |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Francesco Nicola Tubiello |
Purpose
To collect national data on agricultural producer prices for primary crops and livestock, annually.
Outputs
These data are used to track and study issues related to price inflation, volatility and transmission, and food security.
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT.
| Schedule | Transmission date: May Submission date: June |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Veronica Boero |
Purpose
To collect data every three years on the items/variables required for the construction and reporting of the 11 sub-indicators of SDG indicator 2.4.1.
The sub-indicators are:
i) Farm Output value per hectare;
ii) Net farm income;
iii) Risk mitigation mechanisms;
iv) Prevalence of soil degradation;
v) Variation in water availability;
vi) Management of fertilizers;
vii) Management of pesticides;
viii) Use of agro-biodiversity supportive practices;
ix) Wage rate in agriculture;
x) Food insecurity experience scale; and
xi) Secure tenure rights to land.
Outputs
Data are disseminated on FAOSTAT, FAODATA Explorer beta version and the Global SDG indicators database.
| Schedule | Transmission date: 15 May 2025 Submission date: 12 June 2025 |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Francesco Nicola Tubiello |
Purpose
DAD-IS is the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System hosted by FAO. It is a communication and information tool supporting the development of strategies for the management of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture (AnGR).
DAD-IS is considered as the international clearing-house mechanism for AnGR. It provides its users with access to (inter alia) searchable, dynamic, multilingual databases of breed-related information.
The names and contact information of all Regional and National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources (National Coordinators) are also available in DAD-IS.
Outputs
Data are used to monitor the diversity of AnGR. Countries are provided with their SDG indicators 2.5.1b and 2.5.2 based on the data entered into DAD-IS.
Data are disseminated biannually in the report on Status and trends of animal genetic resources (2024, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2010).
Main developments foreseen for 2025
Broadening the scope of SDG Indicator 2.5.2 covering both, local (i.e. reported to exist in only one country) and transboundary (i.e. reported to exist in more than one country) breeds.
| Schedule | Transmission date: January Submission date: December |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contacts | Roswitha Baumung; Grégoire Leroy |
Purpose
Periodic collection of data from countries and regional/international centres on the implementation of the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (Second GPA) and SDG 2.5.1a. Data collected are based on a list of indicators and a reporting format agreed by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. They include, inter alia, information on PGRFA species surveyed, collected and secured in long-term conservation facilities; PGRFA species and number of samples characterized, regenerated, multiplied, distributed and published by genebanks; Genetic base-broadening and breeding of crop species; Crop varieties registered and released; etc.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s preparation of periodic reports on the implementation of SDG Target 2.5 and the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and on the State of the World’s PGRFA.
Data are disseminated on FAO WIEWS and FAO SDG data portal, FAO Data Explorer beta version and the Global SDG indicators database.
| Schedule | Transmission date: May Submission date: June |
| Data and methodology | SDG 2.5.1 Questionnaire Second GPA Questionnaire Methodology Data frequency - Second GPA (every 3/5 years) and SDG 2.5.1a (every year) |
| Contact | Arshiya Noorani |
COMMODITIES
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, processing and consumption of abaca fibre, as well as stocks.
To collect information on abaca manufactured goods trade.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Group on hard fibres.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated website.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: June Submission date: July |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Julie Claro |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on trade of fresh or dried bananas and plantains, as well as price data at farm-gate, C.i.f., F.o.b., wholesale and retail levels. Furthermore, it collects information on fresh or dried certified organic bananas.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Sub-Group on Bananas.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated webpage.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: April Submission date: May |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Giuseppe Bonavita |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, processing and consumption of coir fibre, as well as stocks.
To collect information on sisal manufactured goods trade.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Group on hard fibres.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated website.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: June Submission date: July |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Julie Claro |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, processing and consumption of jute, kenaf and allied fibres, as well as producer prices.
To collect information on jute manufactured goods trade.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Group on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated website.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: June Submission date: July |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Julie Claro |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, processing and consumption of sisal fibre, as well as stocks.
To collect information on abaca manufactured goods trade.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Group on hard fibres.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated website.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: June Submission date: July |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Julie Claro |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, stocks, processing and consumption of tea, as well as producer, auction, wholesale and retail prices.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Group on Tea.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated website.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: May Submission date: May |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Julie Claro |
Purpose
To collect annually national data on production, trade, processing and consumption of tropical fruits, including on prices at farm-gate, C.i.f., F.o.b., wholesale and retail levels.
The fruits covered are: mangoes, pineapples, papayas, avocados, mangosteen, guavas, carambola - starfruit, longan, rambutan, durian, lychee, and passion fruit.
To collect information on fresh and processed non-organic and certified organic fruit.
Outputs
These data are the main source of information supporting FAO’s work at the Intergovernmental Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits.
Data are disseminated on a dedicated webpage.
Main developments foreseen for 2025
None.
| Schedule | Transmission date: April Submission date: May |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire Methodology
Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Giuseppe Bonavita |