Concluding the GSARS II Restitution Workshop: Highlights from the Economic Indicators (FARMECO), Agricultural Losses (PERTES), Farm Typology (TEA), and Food Balance Sheets (BA) Restitution Workshop in Mali

The second phase of the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARS) has identified several assistance themes aimed at strengthening the capacities of national agricultural statistical systems in terms of accountability and policy development. In line with this initiative, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been supporting 25 African countries on various themes based on their specific needs. Mali has selected, among others, the themes of economic indicators (FARMECO), agricultural losses (PERTES), farm typology (TEA), and food balance sheets (BA). This mission, led by Samba CISSE and Hamidou KONKOBO, was instrumental in disseminating the results of all GSARS II activities conducted in the country. 

The workshop was enriched by the participation of representatives from various institutions, including: 

The preparatory work aimed to finalize work within the framework of technical assistance for the GSARS II packages - economic indicators (FARMECO), agricultural losses (PERTES), farm typology (TEA), and food balances (BA), together with the Statistical Planning Unit (CPS) of the Rural Development Sector (Ministry of Agriculture) in the finalization of presentations and results. The restitution workshop provided a platform to present and discuss the results of the activities from the four packages with a broader audience of agricultural data users. 

The climax of the mission was the public restitution workshop held in Bamako. The event commenced with welcome remarks from Modibo Touré, representing the FAO Representative in Mali, and Balla Keita, Director of CPS. Participants were treated to a brief 3-minute video featuring insights and positive impressions shared by individuals who had participated in various capacity-building activities. 

Assitan TRAORE, a participant in the workshop, emphasized the training's significance, stating, "When we are well-equipped to develop farm typologies and have comprehensive data at our disposal, we can create a genuine typology of our agricultural enterprises. This will greatly support decision-makers in shaping policies and strategies for the advancement of the agricultural and food sector."  

The successful completion of this workshop in Mali vividly demonstrates our commitment to strengthening agricultural statistical capacity. It underscores the collaborative synergy between FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, and CPS in advancing the objectives of the Global Strategy. As Seydou DOUMBIA insightfully pointed out, "It is worth acknowledging that prior to this training, we did not employ our data to calculate these indicators. This wasn't due to the lack of essential data for calculation; we possessed certain variables that allowed us to estimate these indicators. These training sessions have been instrumental in highlighting the methodology to be used and accurate indicator calculation. We now incorporate these recommendations, enabling us to perform these calculations with precision." 

In closing, we extend our thanks to the FAO Country Office in Mali for their invaluable support, as well as to our donors, the European Union and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for their continued commitment to improving agricultural statistics and driving progress in the sector.