The Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics Phase 2 (GSARS-II), in its commitment to enhancing agricultural and rural statistics, has successfully concluded an advanced training workshop in Mali. The workshop, held from November 19th to December 2nd, 2023, focused on ...

The 3rd meeting of the Global Steering Committee (GSC), held on January 16, 2024, marked a significant milestone in the continued support and development of agricultural and rural statistics in Africa. The meeting, chaired by Oliver Chinganya, convened key international stakeholders and committee members virtually, reaffirming their commitment to advancing the programme's objectives. 

Washington D.C. – The International Conference on Agricultural Statistics...

From November 20-23, 2023, a FAO mission was held in Zambia, concluding the technical assistance to improve the agricultural statistical system of Zambia within the Global strategy.  

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.  

In a significant step towards enhancing agricultural and rural statistics, a training workshop focusing on data processing and analysis was recently concluded in Luanda. Organized from November 6 to 10, 2023, under the Global Strategy for the Improvement of Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARSII), the event marked a pivotal moment in Angola's efforts to adopt modern statistical methods for sustainable agricultural production used for policymaking in rural development. 

In a significant step towards enhancing Lesotho's statistical capabilities, the Lesotho National Statistics Agency (LNSA) recently concluded a crucial workshop under the umbrella of the second phase of the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARS). Held at the FAO office in Maseru from November 6 to 10, 2023, the training focused on advancing the AGPROD programme with the guidance of expert trainer Abdelkader TALHAOUI. 

From November 6 to 10, 2023, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Development convened in Nairobi for a critical technical assistance mission on Master Sampling Frames (MSF). This hands-on workshop, part of the Global Strategy to I...

From 23 to 31 October 2023, Zimbabwe hosted a hands-on Data Analysis Workshop, significantly advancing its agricultural statistics capabilities. Stella Wambugu and Franck Cachia, expert trainers, led 16 participants from ZIMSTAT and the Ministry of Agriculture in this practical training, which was about more than learning; it was a preparation for a future where data drives excellence in agricultural statistics and policy-making. 

From 18-22 September 2023, Guinea embarked on a vital initiative to bolster its agricultural data collection capabilities through a workshop as part of the second phase of the Global Strategy for the Improvement of Agricultural and Rural Statistics (GSARSII). This program is pivotal for improving the nation's capacity to gather comprehensive data on agricultural losses, a key element of an integrated national agricultural statistics system. Under the guidance of trainer Audrier Sanou, the workshop engaged twelve data collection agents—of which 58% were women—in an intensive training aimed at enhancing both their technical skills and their understanding of the nuances involved in agricultural surveys. 

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 consistent and accurate dissemination of official statistics is a primary goal for national statistical systems agencies (SSN), a principle emphasized by the United Nations' Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (UNFPOS).  It is in this context that, from 09 ...