Guide to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Documents

5. Statistics

FAOSTAT (FAO Statistics) is a statistical on-line database from FAO received on subscription by Harvard, with login and password available at Lamont's Research Services Desk (Lamont Level B)
It provides access to over 3 million time-series and data relating to food and agriculture. This resource has recently been revamped. Users familiar with the earlier version as well as newcomers to this database might want to use the FAOSTAT User Guide as well as FAOSTAT Support/FAQ page to familiarize themselves with this rich source of statistics. It covers 200 countries, 15 years, and more than 200 primary products and input items related to production, trade, resources, consumption and prices. Historical data back to 1961, though not updated, is available in its Archive for historic timeseries.

FAOSTAT directly from FAO, without the password, is also available, but without the capabilities of massive downloads that the subscription version affords.

FAO statistical yearbook
Location: Documents (Lamont): CD-ROM Doc HD1421 .F363
Location : Widener HD1421 .F363 [issues with CD-ROM held at Harvard Depository]
Location: FAO Statistical Yearbook from the Statistics Division of FAO for recent issues online (although the yearbook for 2005/2006, must be downloaded table by table).
For earlier years check HOLLIS Catalog under the separate titles under which the yearbook was issued: FAO bulletin of statistics;  FAO yearbook. Fertilizer; FAO yearbook. Trade; and FAO yearbook. Production.

UNData
This UN statistical database uses a Web browser interface to access hundreds of statistical series for all countries and areas of the world, with descriptions of the international sources and methods used in compiling the data. The series can be accessed alphabetically, by sources, including FAO, or by topics. For each series international sources and definitions of terms are given.

LexisNexis Statistical
Limit search to IIS for International Statistics. Then use the IIS fiche collection in Microfiche S 505 for those documents cited without a hotlink.

FAO WAICENT Portal Statistics is a portal to the following statistical databases.

AQUASTAT Global information system of water and agricultural water management
FAOSTAT (N.B. see also Harvard's subscription to FAOSTAT )
FISHSTAT Fishery statistics
FORESTRY Forest and forestry statistics on country by country basis
GLIPHA Global Livestock Production and Health Atlas
GLOBAL NUMBER OF FISHERS Number of people employed in fishing 1961+ and aquaculture 1990+
PAAT Information system Programme Against African Trypanosomiasis
TERRASTAT Land resource statistics at country and regional level

Page Last Reviewed: December 18, 2009