Handbook on Rural Household Livelihood and Well-being

1. Handbook on Rural Household Livelihood and Well-being Statistics on Rural Development and Agricultural Household Income

2. Origins • Background of rural development and agricultural income issues at Meetings of Food and Agricultural Statistics in Europe • Topic at all three World Conferences of Agricultural Statisticians • Issues a focus of IWG-Agri Group meetings • Team effort of a Task Force set up by IWG-Agri, coordinated by UNECE (“Wye Group”)

3. Origins • Contributions from authors of chapters, reviewers and editors • Main text now in process of final editing, but with some gaps to fill • Aim – completed Handbook later in 2005 • Living document – subject to revision and improvement • FAO to be guardian of the electronic version

4. Contents • I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND • PART I - RURAL DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS • PART II - AGRICULTURE HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND WEALTH • ANNEXE

5. Part I – Rural Development Statistics • II NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES • III. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK APPLIED BY INTZERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • IV. INVENTORY OF NATIONAL APPROACHES TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT STATISTICS • V. INVENTORY OF RURAL INDICATORS BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS • VI. MEASUREMENT ISSUES, DATA SOURCES AND METHODOLOGIES • VII. RECOMMENDED CORE SET OF INDICATORS AND EXTENDED SETS

6. Part II – Agricultural household income and wealth • VIII CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK - INTRODUCTION • IX THE AGRICULTURAL HOUSEHOLD – CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS • X DEFINITIONS OF INCOME • XI INCOME DISTRIBUTION AND POVERTY • XII WEALTH • XIII INVENTORY OF AGRICULTURAL INCOME STATISTICS • XIV FINDINGS AND GOOD PRACTICES

7. Chapter 1 – Introduction and background • I.1 Background to the handbook • I.1.1 Why is the handbook being produced? • I.1.2 Who is the handbook intended for? • I.1.3 The role of statistics • The quality of indicators / Data sources to be used / The geographical unit • I.2 What is rural development and why is it a policy area? • Common problems in OECD countries / Developing countries • I.3 Rural development – policy objectives • I.4 Why a particular focus on agriculture household income and wealth? • I.5 Agriculture households, their incomes and policy objectives

8. Why is the Handbook being produced? • Strong and increasing policy interest in rural development among rich and poor countries • Aim to provide methodological help by • Consolidating existing work • Highlighting differences occur between international organisations • Fill gaps where possible

9. Roles of a Handbook (BH) • Explanatory – outline context of statistics and main issues to be tackled • Indicative – establish “blue print” of good practice • Prescriptive – in areas where clear guidance can be given (but not a Manual like SNA93) • Supportive – to people working in this area of statistics (often in isolation)

10. Who is it intended for? • To assist compilers of relevant statistics • Wide range of other users of rural development statistics and agricultural household income measures

11. Role of statistics • Policy driven – problem analysis and need identification, monitoring and evaluation • Affected by quality – relevance, timeliness, clearly defined, easily interpreted, sensitive to policy action etc. • Often depend on existing data sources • Compromises inevitable

12. Rural development policy • Different but overlapping issues among OECD and developing countries • Policy objectives include • Population stability • Diversified industry base (beyond agriculture) • Accessibility and availability of services • Good physical and mental health • Participatory decision-making

13. Why focus on agricultural household income and wealth? • Historically important rural sector, though now much reduced in many countries • Still major controllers of land use (environmental importance) • Often seen as engine for rural development • Rural development policy often rooted in agricultural policy • Target group for agricultural policy • Incomes are a particular focus