Oct 14, 2022
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is the gold standard in providing timely, accurate and useful Statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. But beyond the hundreds of surveys the agency conducts each year on behalf of U.S. ag, NASS has been helping to establish and improve Agricultural statistics systems in countries around the world since the end of World War II. NASS’s international projects are especially relevant as we mark World Food Day this Sunday, Oct. 16.
Our international programs provide technical assistance that aims to strengthen statistical organizations in foreign countries. Improved agricultural data systems can provide more and better information that is critical to addressing major global concerns like food insecurity and shortfalls in regional food production.
Over the past decade, NASS has had the privilege to help more than 30 developing countries in Africa, Central and South America, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe to develop and improve their agricultural statistics programs.
Now NASS and USDA staff will have the opportunity to share their research and explore the latest methodological innovations by countries and development partners when the Ninth International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS XI) comes to Washington, DC, May 17-19, 2023. ICAS IX, organized by USDA and the World Bank, in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, brings together statistical experts from around the world.
The focus of next year’s conference will be, “Harnessing data to inform an equitable and sustainable agri-food systems transformation.” Potential themes for conference sessions include natural resource use, rural development, data collection and data quality, capacity building in agricultural statistics and more.
The conference provides a unique networking and learning opportunity at a time when access to high-quality agricultural statistics is as important as ever. Visit www.icas2023.org for more information and details on registration.
