This publication reports the main characteristics of the structure of agriculture in countries as defined by the characteristics of agricultural holdings, gender of holder, land tenure and land use, crops, livestock, etc., and the metadata on each agricultural census covered in the publication. The 2000 programme covered the censuses carried out during the decade (1996 - 2005). Some 122 countries are reported to have carried out an agriculture census during the decade, and 114 countries made available their census reports to FAO.
This publication is a methodological review of the agricultural censuses conducted within the framework of the Programme for World Census of Agriculture 2000. It covers methodological aspects like enumeration methods and techniques, census frames, geographical and holding type coverage, census scope, date processing and tabulation, data quality and dissemination, integration of agricultural censuses with other censuses and surveys.
This book tackles the central question of the political and structural changes and characteristics that govern agriculture and food. Original contributions explore this highly globalized economic sector by analyzing salient geographical regions and sub
A better and more complete understanding of family farms is urgently needed to guide policy makers’ efforts towards achieving a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper takes stock of the number of farms worldwide, and their distribution and that of farmland, on the basis of agricultural censuses and survey data. Thus, it shows that there are more than 608 million farms in the world. Rough estimates also indicate that more than 90 percent of these farms are family farms (by our definition) occupying around 70–80 percent of farmland and producing about 80 percent of the world’s food in value terms. We underscore the importance of not referring to family farms and small farms (i.e., those of less than 2 hectares) interchangeably: the latter account for 84 percent of all farms worldwide, but operate only around 12 percent of all agricultural land, and produce roughly 36 percent of the world’s food. The largest 1 percent of farms in the world operate more than 70 percent of the world’s farmland. The stark differences between family farms, in terms of size, their share in farmland distribution, and their patterns across income groups and regions, make clear the importance of properly defining different types of farms and distinguishing their differences when engaging in policy discourse and decision making towards the SDGs. The paper also considers evidence on labour and age provided by the censuses. There is a need to improve agricultural censuses if we want to deepen our understanding of farms.
Nearly three years ago, world leaders agreed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – the central framework for guiding development policies throughout the world. This edition of The State of the World’s Forests is aimed at enhancing our understanding of how forests and their sustainable management contribute to achieving several of the SDGs. Time is running out for the world’s forests: we need to work across sectors, bring stakeholders together, and take urgent action. The State of the World’s Forests 2018 identifies actions that can be taken to increase the contributions of forests and trees that are necessary to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It is now critical that steps be taken to work more effectively with the private sector, and the informal forest sector must be transformed in order to bring broader economic, social and environmental benefits. Seventy years ago, when FAO completed its first assessment of the world’s forest resources, the major concern was whether there would be enough timber to supply global demand; now we recognize the greater global relevance of our forests and trees. For the first time, The State of the World’s Forests 2018 provides an assessment of the contribution of forests and trees to our landscapes and livelihoods. The purpose of this publication is to provide a much wider audience with an understanding of why forests and trees matter for people, the planet and posterity.
FAO has supported member countries to carry out their national agricultural censuses since 1945, through the development and dissemination of international standards, concepts, definitions and methodologies as well as technical assistance. In 2015, FAO published Volume 1 of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture 2020 (WCA 2020) “Programme, concepts and definitions”, the tenth decennial programme that provides guidelines for implementation of national agricultural censuses in the 2016-2025 decade. Volume 1 deals with the methodological and conceptual aspects of the census of agriculture. In addition to the use of international standards, the proper conduct of an agricultural census also depends on adequate planning, implementation, use of resources and quality assurance throughout all stages of the census. In light of this, Volume 2 of WCA 2020 “Operational guidelines” has been designed to guide national census practitioners responsible for conducting the agricultural census. It deals with the practical steps involved in actually conducting an agricultural census in the field. Volume 2 is a revised and updated edition of “Conducting Agricultural Censuses and Surveys”, published by FAO in 1996. The revision is opportune not only in view of the recent publication of the new census programme and methodology but also in view of the substantial changes witnessed in the census technological environment over the last two decades. The availability of digital, mobile and more affordable tools for data capture, geo-positioning, remote sensing imaging, digital archiving and online dissemination have provided new cost-effective alternatives to traditional ways of conducting the agricultural census.
This publication offers a synthesis of the major factors at play in the global food and agricultural landscape. Statistics are presented in four thematic chapters, covering the economic importance of agricultural activities, inputs, outputs and factors of production, their implications for food security and nutrition and their impacts on the environment. The Yearbook is meant to constitute a primary tool for policy makers, researchers and analysts, as well as the general public interested in the past, present and future path of food and agriculture.
