Abstract

In the next decades, agricultural productivity will need to increase considerably in order to feed future generations. However, some intensification approaches may have an impact on land degradation, ecosystems, biodiversity, pollution, CO2 emissions and so on.

The trade-off between agriculture and environment is a critical issue for policy makers charged with managing both the food supply and the sustainable use of the land. Reliable data are crucial for developing effective policies and for evaluating their impact.

Due to the technological development, in the last decades, different kinds of geospatial data have become easily accessible at decreasing prices and have started to be an important support to statistics production process.

In this talk, we focus on main methodological aspects behind the use of geospatial technology for producing reliable and timely agricultural and agri-environmental statistics. Different kinds of geospatial technology are taken into consideration and advantages, constraints and requirements are highlighted.

Particular attention is devoted to the main types of agricultural and agri-environmental probability sample surveys based on area sampling frames and corresponding estimation. The use of remote sensing data at the design level (area frame construction and stratification) as well as at the estimator level is also analysed. Finally, the impact on estimates of spatial resolution, change of support and transformations of spatial data is addressed.

 

Key words: Area sample designs, Geospatial information, Monitoring agriculture and agri-environment