The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) team, on behalf of the World Bank and together with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), successfully delivered the world's biggest conference on agricultural statistics in Washington, DC. from May 17 to 19, 2023.
Agricultural development has emerged as a formidable force in the fight against poverty, acting as a catalyst for increased incomes and enhanced food security for the majority of the world's impoverished population. Its potential lies in the power of data-driven insights that guide decision-making and shape policies. This value is embraced by the International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS), a series of events that fosters and leverages best practices and research in response to the changing needs and opportunities for agricultural statistics.
In response to today's pressing global challenges, the theme for the ninth ICAS was "Harnessing data to inform an equitable and sustainable agri-food systems transformation". Hosted in the World Bank Headquarters, this three-day conference became a center for 500 policy practitioners, researchers and scholars from around the world as they shared groundbreaking research and operational accomplishments related to the theme, while exploring the latest methodological innovations.
Experts from the LSMS team and the Agricultural Global Practice of the World Bank made a powerful presence, captivating the conference with their multitude of engaging sessions.
At the conference, the LSMS experts demonstrated the intertwined challenges of rural development, poverty, and social issues with evidence from survey data. We also showed the participants about accurate measurement in agricultural analysis, ways to measure agricultural labor, and the power of multi-topic, longitudinal surveys. Importantly, we explored future trends in agricultural statistics, advancements in data collection methods, as well as the significance of data disaggregation for sustainable development. These dynamic sessions sparked innovation, driving progress in agricultural statistics and empowering data-driven decision-making to shape a sustainable future for the agricultural sector.
The first ICAS took place in 1998 in Washington, DC 25 years ago.
