Sound decisions are based on good information. It is particularly true for low-income economies where policy decisions have a direct impact on lives, health, food security or well-being. High quality disaggregated and timely information on the agriculture sector is a critical resource for decision-makers involved in agricultural and rural development. Data availability supports decision-makers with better allocation of limited resources in a beneficial and long-lasting manner to positively impact smallholder populations and to help track progress against key outcomes.
Against this backdrop, the Global Strategy to improve Agricultural Statistics was adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in 2010 for a 15-years duration, as a coordinated initiative to address the decline in the agricultural statistical systems of many developing countries and enable the production of more and better agricultural statistics.
During this same first phase, a subcomponent of the GSARS, already conducted in collaboration between UNECA and FAO, was to offer scholarships and basic statistical trainings to selected participants from the Programmes’ beneficiary countries: a total of 79 scholarships were offered to students across 40 countries to pursue Agricultural Statistics in one of the African statistical institutes and trainings were provided on agricultural statistics.
Building on the recognised successes achieved during Phase 1, Phase II of the GSARS has begun in early 20211, for an initial duration of three years, co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Union, with the aim to reinforcing technical capacities in national agricultural statistical systems for accountability reporting and policymaking.
The activities subject of this present Agreement between FAO and UNCECA constitute once again a subcomponent of the GSARS (Phase II) in response to a need expressed by the countries for qualified agricultural statisticians. The first package of activities aims at offering scholarships at Master’s level to young agricultural statisticians. The beneficiaries are expected to serve in their respective national statistical system once the scholarship is completed. In addition to this, and concomitantly, a second package of activities are basic trainings on agricultural statistics offered to staff of national agencies for potentially increasing the critical mass of agricultural statisticians which is missing.
UNECA will be in charge of organizing the scholarships within the existing network of statistical schools in Africa and administer the 2-week courses on basic agricultural statistics at regional level.