FAOSTAT

FAOSTAT
Name	FAOSTAT
Type	Statistical database
Parent	Food and Agriculture Organization
Foundation	0 1960
Location	Rome, Italy
Key people	José Graziano da Silva, Qu Dongyu
Website	http://www.fao.org/faostat

FAOSTAT. It is the world's largest and most comprehensive statistical database on food security, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and natural resources, maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The platform provides free access to time-series and cross-sectional data for over 245 countries and territories, serving as a critical global public good for evidence-based policy-making and research. Its data is fundamental for monitoring progress toward international goals like the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

Overview

The core mandate is to compile, standardize, and disseminate global statistics to support analyses of long-term trends in the world food economy. It operates under the Statistics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization, headquartered in Rome. The database is a cornerstone for major international reports, including the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World and the State of the World's Forests. Its development has been closely aligned with the work of other United Nations agencies like the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

Data domains and coverage

The system organizes information into several key thematic domains. These include detailed data on crop production, livestock numbers, agricultural trade flows, food balance sheets, fertilizer use, pesticide consumption, land use, irrigation, greenhouse gas emissions, and food price indices. Coverage extends to forestry statistics, such as deforestation rates, and fisheries data on capture production and aquaculture. The database also tracks socioeconomic indicators like farm gate prices, government expenditures in agriculture, and population estimates, enabling integrated analysis of the entire agri-food system.

Data collection and methodology

Data is primarily collected through questionnaires disseminated to national authorities, including ministries of agriculture and national statistical offices, under the framework of the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture. The Food and Agriculture Organization employs rigorous methodologies for data validation, imputation for missing values, and harmonization to ensure international comparability. For critical series like food security indicators, it integrates data from other sources, including surveys by the World Food Programme and satellite imagery from NASA. Statistical standards often follow classifications like the Central Product Classification.

Access and tools

The primary interface is a web-based data dissemination platform that allows users to query, visualize, and download datasets in various formats. Key analytical tools include the Data Lab for advanced statistical analysis and the FAOSTAT API for programmatic access. The organization also develops specialized applications, such as the Food Balance Sheets interactive platform and the Forestry Production and Trade data browser. These resources are complemented by mobile applications and data partnerships with platforms like the World Bank Open Data initiative and Google Earth Engine.

Usage and impact

The database is extensively used by government policymakers, researchers at institutions like the International Food Policy Research Institute, journalists, and students worldwide. It underpins critical global assessments, including analyses for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Major corporations in the agribusiness sector, such as Cargill and Syngenta, utilize the data for market analysis. Its indicators are vital for tracking commitments made at forums like the World Economic Forum and regional bodies like the African Union.

History and development

The origins trace back to the early years of the Food and Agriculture Organization, with systematic data compilation beginning around 1960. A significant milestone was the creation of the World Agricultural Census program in the 1970s, which standardized national data collection. The transition from printed Yearbook of Forest Products and Production Yearbook volumes to an electronic database occurred in the 1990s. Major upgrades followed, including the launch of the current online platform in 2012 and the integration of Big data and geospatial information following initiatives like the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics.

Category:Food and Agriculture Organization Category:Agricultural organizations Category:International databases Category:United Nations documents and publications