Reinventing Australian Agricultural Statistics

Summary

This work was undertaken by the Australian Farm Institute. The report presents a framework for evaluation of data sources which could augment the existing agricultural statistics system, developed from a desktop study of available literature, and investigation of potential alternative data sources and methods of collection.

The Australian agricultural statistics system is in a process of evolution, but as yet is still in a far from ideal state. Data for the sector is often incomplete, out of date, and irrelevant or purposeless. There is an urgent need to improve the collection, analysis and timely provision of agricultural statistics by taking innovative, cooperative action to improve the way this information is gathered and distributed. Failure to do so will compound the existing problem of decisions and policy made in the absence of solid evidence.

Data collection is no longer the exclusive domain of Official Statistics Agencies (OSAs) – and indeed these agencies are unlikely to receive the increased resources required to enable them to address these complex data needs as well as meeting their current obligations.

Given the funding limitations, it is fair to say the current agricultural statistics portfolio reflects available OSA resources, rather than the actual needs of the sector. In a time when water management and the impacts of climate change on agriculture are issues of fundamental national importance, this situation is unacceptable. Sound decision-making requires informed understanding, which in turn requires a reinvention of the current Australian agricultural statistics system.

Efforts to improve official statistics in Australia are already underway following recent reviews. The ABS and ABARES have established programs to modernise and streamline operations. An increase in resources would ensure that these work programs maintain momentum, but the OSAs alone cannot reinvent the system.

In order for the sector to leave behind sole reliance on the five-yearly census process and move into a more responsive, accurate and granular system, the agriculture industry has a pivotal role to play in identifying needs and making available existing datasets which could serve those needs. The industry must collectively embrace this role to identify industry problems and opportunities, promote agriculture's social licence, educate policy-makers on trends and requirements and to also build trust in the distribution and responsible use of data.

The authors recommend that:

1. Industry and OSAs cooperatively agree on a common framework (such as the example presented herein) for the evaluation and implementation of alternative or additional data sources to augment the Australian agricultural statistics system.
2. Industry recognises and supports ABS in its role as the official statistical collector as well as being the coordinator in a multi-stakeholder data-gathering process.
3. An education program be established by ABS for relevant personnel in industry bodies which currently collect data to ensure understanding of the considerations for inclusion of non-official data in the national agricultural statistics system.
4. An education program be established by industry for all stakeholders in the agricultural value chain regarding the industry good benefits of sharing data.
5. An Agricultural Data Taskforce (as recommended in the P2D report) recognises the cross-industry need to share learnings on systems transformation to ensure a harmonised approach to collection of national data. a. Additionally, those recommendations regarding data use and collection in the P2D report which remain unutilised be given priority
6. A national register of potential data sources which could be used to supplement agricultural statistics be established, maintained and regularly revised by the ABS, with support and contribution from industry.
7. Efforts to transform the national Australian agricultural statistics system must align with global best practice on data management / improvement (e.g. UNECE Big Data project, Eurostat Strategy for Agricultural Statistics for 2020 and Beyond) and that Australian agriculture is appropriately represented at these forums.
8. A review of sources of data queries (i.e. on stakeholder needs and collection processes) be published by ABS to help OSAs and industry identify where statistical gaps exist and where data-gathering activities can be streamlined and shared.
9. Industry supports the redistribution of responsibilities defined for the data lifecycle by ABS; namely the delegation of data collection, processing and distribution from non-official sources as required to augment official statistics. a. Technical solutions should be developed to facilitate the documentation, publication and discoverability of data by setting up data infrastructure.
10. A prompt review of current methodologies and classifications used by ABS and ABARES be undertaken to ensure efficacious use of existing data and to enable ease of integration for new data sources. a. This review should be completed in collaboration with industry, representative organisations and RDCs.
11. Industry supports the goal of OSAs to ensure that data sourced for use in the national Australian agricultural statistics system is both FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) and TRUE (trustworthy, relevant, useful and explainable).