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Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics

GSARS Participates in the 28th Session of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS)

15/12/2023

The 28th Session of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS), held from December 4-8, 2023, in Johannesburg, South Africa, was themed “Leveraging Data & Statistics for Agri-Food Systems Transformation in Africa.” Bringing together senior statistics officials from across the continent, AFCAS 28 focused on reviewing the state of food and agricultural statistics in Africa, providing a crucial platform for idea exchange and the advancement of agricultural statistical systems in line with FAO's objectives.  

During the conference, the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARS) made a significant contribution. In addition to focusing on the implementation of the second phase of the program and enhancing statistical capacity development, the GSARS session showcased insightful presentations and rich discussions. 

Lassina Pare from the Survey Team of FAO-ESS introduced GSARS Phase II, highlighting its progress and future plans. GSARS II implementing partners contributed to this presentation.  Experiences from Zambia, Guinea, and Madagascar were shared, offering insights into the impact of GSARS II. The session was chaired by Mr. Oliver Chinganya, Director of the African Centre for Statistics, UNECA.   

The AFCAS 28 presentation on GSARS II provided an overview of the Global Strategy's role in enhancing agricultural statistics, covering the program's objectives, alignment with global and African initiatives, and capacity-building progress. GSARS II's achievements in various countries were highlighted, alongside discussions on its future directions, including expanding its reach and integrating with broader statistical programs. 

The roundtable discussion focused on lessons learned and future capacity development activities under GSARS, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts and enhanced synergies. 

Additionally, AFCAS 28 provided key recommendations for GSARS, which included: 

  • Commendation for the successful implementation of GSARS-II. 
  • Recognition of the importance of the Masters of Statistics in Agriculture scholarship program and urge member countries to ensure service commitment from trainees. 
  • Request for FAO to continue capacity development activities in a third phase of GSARS and consider expanding to more countries. 
  • Suggestion to maintain existing GSARS-II packages and expand to include new areas and methodologies. 

Overall, GSARS's participation at AFCAS 28 highlighted its critical role in transforming agricultural statistics across Africa, laying a promising foundation for future developments in this vital field.