One of the most important elements of FAO’s statistical work is the development and promotion of the decennial World Programme for the Census of Agriculture. Since the founding of FAO in 1945, it has supported countries to carry out their national agricultural censuses using standard international concepts, definitions and methodologies.

The World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2030 (WCA 2030) is the eleventh decennial programme and marks a significant milestone: the centenary of the first WCA guidelines published in 1930. The WCA 2030 is  expected to provide the basis for implementation of agricultural censuses in FAO member countries between 2026 and 2035. The use of these guidelines by member countries ensures that the census results are harmonized and internationally comparable, and allows countries to benchmark their performance against others.