Strategy for Improving Agriculture Statistics in Africa.
3rd – 4th February, 2010. Hammamet, Tunisia. Conference on implementing the Strategy for Improving Agriculture Statistics in Africa. This conference was organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The meeting was attended by 47 participants composed of key Development partners, Training Institutions, sub-regional and regional institutions, National Statistics Offices and Agricultural Statistical Services within and outside Africa.
The key objectives of the conference were to:
- finalize the guidelines for developing a capacity building proposal for improving agricultural statistics in African countries. The proposal will be presented for discussion with donors at the Fifth International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-V) to be held in Kampala, Uganda in October 2010;
- build a donor coalition for raising subsequent funding for the action plan, and
Six preliminary elements of a technical assistance programme for Africa were proposed.
- design of national integrated agricultural statistics projects,
- design of Sector Strategic Plans for Agricultural Statistics,
- development of institutional and organizational capacities,
- development and/or adaption of methodologies,
- preparation and distribution of technical manuals and guides, and
- data harmonization and management
It was proposed that FAO should coordinate, in cooperation with other closely involved institutions and countries, in the preparation of the proposal for the research component. The possible participants may include: the friends of the Chair (Ethiopia, Uganda, Morocco), AfDB, UNECA, FARA, RCMRD, JRC, Agronomical research centers, CGiAR centers (selective).
