Methods, standards and classifications
In response to a growing demand for high-quality and internationally-comparable statistics, FAO develops, implements and promotes methods and standards to guide national data producers in generating and using sound statistics. In particular, the Organization is committed to provide national statistical systems with internationally recognized definitions, concepts and classifications as well as methodological guidance for the production of high quality statistics related to food and agriculture.
Methods
Methods
FAO develops methods to guide national data producers in generating and using sound statistics. The FAO Statistics Resource Repository presents statistics-oriented
research on topics related to FAO's mandate. It provides guidelines, handbooks, working papers and training materials for statisticians, researchers and academics.
Corporate Standards
Data and Statistical Standard Series
The FAO Data and Statistical Standard Series covers topical issues for data and statistics and provides statisticians with the guidance needed to ensure that timely and high-quality data and statistics are produced and disseminated.
Classifications
Caliper - Statistical Classifications
Consult Caliper, an FAO tool for the dissemination of statistical classifications, and browse, search, download and query classifications and correspondences.
List of classifications relevant to FAO's mandate
FAO maintains information on the main classifications owned by the Organization, the UN Statistical Division and other international organizations that are relevant to its mandate.
Natural Resources
General Information | |
|---|---|
Status | Operational |
Website | |
Custodian | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
Year Adopted | 2015 |
Availability | |
Purpose of the Classification | |
|---|---|
Statistical Domain | Land use statistics |
Purpose | To classify land use types. |
Main Applications | Agricultural statistics and agricultural censuses. |
Main Users | Ministries of Agriculture and National Statistical Offices carrying out agricultural censuses |
Methodology | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concept Being Classified | Land use | ||||||||
Relationship to Other International Classifications | This classification focuses on how land/area are used within the agricultural holding. The WCA classification of land use contains nine basic land use classes, LU1 to LU9; six of the basic land use classes can be grouped into four aggregate classes: the nine basic classes are less detailed than in the SEEA, the WCA LU aggregates are ad hoc classes, not provided in the SEEA. Notes: LU1 (in WCA) includes greenhouses and land in family gardens while 1.1.1 (in SEEA) does not. LU4 includes greenhouses and land in family gardens while 1.1.4 does not. 1.1.6 (in SEEA) includes greenhouses and land in family gardens while LU6 in WCA) does not. | ||||||||
Classification Structure |
| ||||||||
Revision Information | Chronology of revisions/versions of the classification: Website: Official Adopting Entity: Coordinating Entity: Next Review: Reason for Latest Revision: Major Changes: | ||||||||
Contact Information | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | ||||||||
General Information | |
|---|---|
Status | Operational |
Website | |
Custodian | United Nations Statistics Division |
Year Adopted | 2012 |
Year Published | 2012 |
Availability | Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish |
Purpose of the Classification | |
|---|---|
Statistical Domain | Environment; land cover statistics |
Purpose | The purpose of the classification is to provide categories for the observed physical and biological cover of the Earth's surface, including natural vegetation and abiotic (non-living) surfaces. It allows for the standardization and harmonization across statistical data sets, a classification of land cover based on the FAO Land Cover Classification System comprised of 14 classes has been established. |
Main Applications | Environmental economic accounts |
Main Users | Environmental economic accounts compilers and users: international organizations, governments, ministries of environment as well as other economic and environmental bodies in the public and private sectors, as e.g. analysts and forecasters. |
Methodology | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concept Being Classified | Land cover | ||||||||
Classification Structure |
| ||||||||
Revision Information | Chronology of revisions/versions of the classification: Website: Official Adopting Entity: Entity: Next Review: Reason for Latest Revision: Major Changes: | ||||||||
Contact Information | United Nations Statistics Division | ||||||||
General Information | |
|---|---|
Status | Operational |
Website | |
Custodian | United Nations Statistics Division |
Year Adopted | 2012 |
Year Published | 2012 |
Availability | Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish |
Purpose of the Classification | |
|---|---|
Statistical Domain | Environment; land cover statistics |
Purpose | Land use reflects both (a) the activities undertaken and (b) the institutional arrangements put in place for a given area for the purposes of economic production, or the maintenance and restoration of environmental functions. |
Main Applications | Environmental economic accounts |
Main Users | Environmental economic accounts compilers and users: international organizations, governments, ministries of environment as well as other economic and environmental bodies in the public and private sectors, as e.g. analysts and forecasters. |
Methodology | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concept Being Classified | Land cover | ||||||||||||
Classification Structure |
| ||||||||||||
Revision Information | Chronology of revisions/versions of the classification: Website: Official Adopting Entity: Coordinating Entity: Next Review: Reason for Latest Revision: Major Changes: | ||||||||||||
Contact Information | United Nations Statistics Division | ||||||||||||