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
Generic (all agricultural sectors)
Purpose
To provide policymakers and other potential users with annually updated indicators on agricultural research and development (R&D) input, focusing on investments and human resources.
Outputs
From 2025, this questionnaire is sent annually to countries to collect aggregates on:
- Total investment in agricultural R&D
- Total number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) researchers conducting agricultural R&D.
Data is disseminated on FAOSTAT.
Main developments foreseen for 2026
- Dispatch the first FAO-ASTI questionnaire to update agricultural R&D dataset with new available data collected by countries.
- Build global guidelines to develop Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators at the country level.
- Follow up with countries and provide technical support when necessary.
- Fill data gaps through estimation methodologies.
| Schedule | - Transmission date: June - Submission date: August |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire (Available in English, French and Spanish) Methodology Data collection from questionnaires and additional sources: national R&D survey, national statistics office and international organizations. Data frequency - Annual |
| Contact | Hernán Muñoz |
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 the level of expenditures that governments incur on activities related to agriculture, forestry and fishing and environmental protection, annually.
Outputs
Information on Central Government expenditures is essential to compile SDG Indicator 2.a.1 (The Agriculture Orientation Index for Government Expenditures); while information on Budgetary Central Government expenditures can help monitor commitments to the Maputo and Malabo declarations.
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 every two years disaster damage and loss data for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, in particular on:
1) the occurrence of disasters of any scale (small / medium / large), which affected agricultural production over the past year; and
2) information on the impact of these disasters in terms of production loss, area affected, livestock deaths and assets damaged.
Outputs
Data are disseminated in FAO publication The impact of disasters on agriculture and food security.
| Schedule | - Transmission date: February - Submission date: April |
| Data and methodology | Questionnaire
Methodology
Data frequency - Biennial |
| Contact | Piero Conforti |