Module 1 - Ecuador: Commodity Chain Consultative Councils for Policy Formulation

Ecuador’s agricultural sector is characterized by a variety of production systems¾both temperate and tropical¾and a natural resource base with high production potential. It has a very competitive export sector¾banana, flowers, and shrimp¾as well as a large traditional smallholder sector producing rice, potatoes, coffee, cacao, maize, and livestock. Agriculture is characterized by low productivity even in the export sector, and most growth over the past 30 years has come from the expansion of agricultural area.

 

Widespread improvement in agricultural productivity will require the government to provide key public goods, including information on which farmers, traders, processors, and financial institutions can base decisions. Improved information is equally important to the Ecuadorian Government, as it moves away from past broad-based programs to more targeted interventions aimed at helping the poor. Unfortunately the information base for public policy has been weak. The last agricultural census was conducted in 1974, so the data no longer provided a sound basis for decision making. An improved database was essential for sound policy formulation and development of business plans.

 

Project Objectives and Description

The Agricultural Census and Information System Technical Assistance Project aims to improve the availability, consistency, validity, and timeliness of agricultural information to facilitate decision-making processes in the public and private sector. The project includes four components:

• An Agricultural Policy Component to strengthen sector policy analysis capacity, budget analysis, and investment monitoring.
  
  
• An Agricultural Information and Dissemination Component to improve crop and livestock information services, market news and price information, agroclimatic impact forecasts, and the computer and information system capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture.
  
  
• An Agricultural Sample Census Component to support design and execution of a national sample census and strengthen data processing capabilities.
  
  
• An Agricultural Farm Production Survey Component to improve production survey methodology, speed processing of two surveys per year, and finance one farm expenditure survey.