The agricultural census and sample surveys form the backbone of agricultural statistics. The Integrated Farm Statistics (IFS) framework aims to collect data at the farm level by integrating information about the core structure (e.g. areas per crop, number of animals), production methods, farm labour, rural development measures and agro-environmental aspects. Regulation (EU) 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and the Council on Integrated Farm Statistics defines the collection of structural statistics related to farms and farmers, that has undergone a strategic revision and moved on from the Farm Structure Surveys, latest carried out in 2016.
While EU agriculture faces a myriad of challenges, such as loss of agricultural land, pressure of climate change as well as the aging of farmers, the sector has never been more important amid the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine raising concerns over increasing food inflation. The European Green Deal and its Farm to Fork Strategy creates new data needs for agricultural statistics. It is crucial that IFS remains versatile and dynamic to respond to these new policy requirements.
In 2023, farm statistics are collected in the form of an agricultural sample survey. This is one way to get a more fine-grained picture on the full agricultural population at the European level. Moreover, IFS is the only data collection instrument that produces statistical information on farms at the most detailed geographical level. The data collection is an essential source of information for governments, scientists, experts in the field, the public and decision-makers.
A number of experts from Eurostat and other Commission Directorates-Generals, National Statistical Institutions, Governmental bodies, and scientists have helped develop this manual. It is the result of many discussions and it is part of the effort to guarantee that data collected from across Europe is comparable, and serves the needs of our users.
I would like to thank all those who have contributed.
Viveka PALM
Director, Sectoral and Regional Statistics