1. Agriculture in Australia Agriculture in Australia utilises a large proportion of the country’s natural resources. Agricultural activity is undertaken on 53% of Australia’s land area and accounts for 54% of total water consumption. Agriculture is also an important industry for Australia, comprising $32.2 billion (2.4%) of the nation’s Gross Value Added in 2010-11. Given the impact of agriculture on the Australian landscape and its economic contribution, it is vital for government and industry to have high quality statistics to inform decision making. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) meets these statistical needs through the Rural Environment and Agriculture Statistics Program (REASP). The most critical key learnings from the Review were associated with mechanisms for effective, ongoing stakeholder engagement. Through a collaborative approach with ABS stakeholders, the Review process was supported by accurate information, enhanced existing networks, and increased future interest in the REASP. Key mechanisms which ensured effective stakeholder engagement included: Communication and transparency: articulating the link between information needs and relevant policy areas was a strategy to involve stakeholders from the outset of the Review. The REASP Review was also an iterative process, drawing key stakeholders into each stage to ensure analysis and implementation strategies aligned with real- world information requirements; The statistical cycle: through consultation with individual organisations and through leading inter-departmental discussions of emerging information needs, stakeholder knowledge of the statistical cycle increased over time. By increasing awareness in this area, stakeholders became better informed about how and when to purposefully engage with the ABS to ensure their information needs were met; and Facilitating networks: fora where the Review brought together various agencies were an opportunity to discuss and identify common areas of interest and reach agreement on core national information needs. The value of this dialogue was recognised amongst the stakeholder group as an avenue for collaborative approaches to meeting statistical needs. This in turn strengthened the ABS’ leadership role within the statistical community to facilitate improvement to the national statistical system; Appropriate capability to undertake engagement: two areas of capability that emerged as critical to the success of the Review were effective negotiation and liaison skills, and knowledge of policy development and of government. This was recognised as a capability gap early in the Review, and addressed through the recruitment of additional staff with experience and knowledge in these areas. Evolving information needs The Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics (the World Bank, 2010) found that: the quality of agricultural statistics internationally is in decline; the decline in agricultural statistics is occurring simultaneously with an increasing number of emerging data requirements to support agriculture policy development; and agriculture statistics are important in terms of food production as well as environmental issues, biodiversity and food security. The challenges identified by the Global Strategy are closely aligned with current policy priorities in Australia, including climate change, drought and impact of water availability. There is also increasing demand for an expanded view of agricultural data at lower geographical areas, as well as a ‘triple bottom line’ view of social, economic and environmental characteristics of agriculture. Emerging technology To meet the challenges posed by evolving information needs and technological innovation, ABS is undertaking the Information Management Transformation Program (IMTP). IMTP outcomes will lead to upgrades in infrastructure, refinement of data acquisition processes, and modernised methods in which the ABS documents, processes and disseminates statistical information. One area of technology that offers opportunities for modernising collection and dissemination of agricultural information is remote sensing (RS). The potential opportunities and efficiencies of RS technology offer the ABS new methods and tools for meeting information needs that will enhance existing data collection methods. For further information, please contact: andrew.henderson@abs.gov.au nicole.lehmann@abs.gov.au Andrew Henderson and Nicole Lehmann, Australian Bureau of Statistics http://www.abs.gov.au Drivers and Opportunities for the Review In 2011 ABS initiated a review of REASP (the Review) to ensure its continued relevance within an evolving agricultural policy environment. Key learnings. Category National Policy ABS statistical requirements State and regional policy Existing commitments Score Agricultural commoditiesXXXX4 Land use and managementXXX3 Demographic informationXX2 Climate changeXX2 Biosecurity (including food and water)X1 WaterXXX3 Natural disastersX1 Financial informationXX2 The Review Process Consultation All stakeholders had the opportunity to participate and provide feedback during the Review. However, stakeholders with whom ABS has ongoing, strategic relationships and whose reliance on REASP data is critical to the continued effectiveness of relevant policy initiatives were directly approached and engaged through each stage of the Review. Analysis Information needs were grouped into categories and prioritised to represent the most critical information needs to support agriculture policy in Australia (see Table1). Implementation The final stage of the Review delivered a revised statistical program for rural environment and agriculture statistics for the next five years (2012- 2016) that provides: retention of an Agricultural Census every 5 years. The Agricultural Census was noted as an important statistical asset by stakeholders; a core set of information themes and data items, capturing critical land management practices and agriculture commodity data items that would remain consistent across a set time frame and be collected each year; increased capacity to collect core information requirements and additional data as information needs evolve through a fully user-funded model. This will enable ABS to remain flexible, pre-emptive and relevant in its approach to new and emerging areas of interest in agriculture; and additional mechanisms for ongoing review and consultation through the establishment of a purposeful stakeholder engagement framework. Table 1: An example of an information needs priority analysis undertaken from information received through stakeholder engagement. Categories were scored based on information priorities identified through stakeholder engagement. Categories with the highest scores were deemed to be the most critical for supporting agriculture policy in Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Australian System of National Accounts, 2011-12, (ABS cat. no. 5204.0). Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Agriculture - Agricultural Environment, in: Years Book Australia, 2012 (ABS cat. no. 1301.0), 527-528. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2011-12 (ABS cat. no. 7121.0). The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank (2010) Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics 1:1-2. References: