UN body with the mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.
Data made available by FAO includes:
WWW/Gopher server: information on FAO activities, research and publications arranged by broad subject. Includes access to several databases and full text of selected publications.
Databases maintained by FAO include:
(a) Interactive Publications Catalogue: of all FAO materials available with and ISBN. Searchable by broad sector and title/date/ISBN. Available free on WWW
(b) FAODOC: database of selected documents prepared by or for FAO. The documents themselves are available on microfiche. Plans for this database to be made available on WWW. The latest issue of the monthly accessions to this database is also available on the WWW
(a) AGRIS: main bibliographical database (see separate entry)
(b) CARIS: Current Agricultural Research Project Information System (see separate entry)
(b) AGROSTAT PC databases: electronic versions of the FAO statistical Yearbooks. 1961-date. Available on WWW (as FAOSTAT) and for sale on PC discs (see separate entry)
(c) Mediabase: keyword searchable collection of downloadable photographs and images (see separate entry)
(c) Seed Production Group: databases on seed sources, regional seed review (see separate entry)
(d) Pesticide Management Unit: information on pesticide use and safety (see separate entry)
(e) International Plant Protection Secretariat: support services include Global Plant Quarantine Information System: information on geographic distribution of quarantine pests. Associated PC PQBASE database (contact Plant Production and Protection Division)
(f) Fishery Information and Statistics Service: series of PC statistical databases (see separate entry)
(g) Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA): see separate entry
(g) AMDASS Agrometeorological Data Systems: data from 17000 meteorological stations, using the CLICOM software, developed by the World Meteorological Organization. (contact: Research and Technology Development Division)
(h) FAO Agricultural Policy Information System (APIS): Database to (1) assist staff engaged in policy analysis and policy advice in a country (region or subregion) obtain information about advice other staff have given on the same or related topic; (2) to enable FAO’s steering committee for Sector and Structural Adjustment Policy Work (SSAP) and the Central Task Force for SSAP to monitor effectively the FAO programme of policy work financed by both Regular Programme funds and extra-budgetary resources; and (3) to enhance FAO institutional memory of policy analysis and policy advice given to member countries, through assembling and disseminating to concerned staff the lists of work relevant to their activities. 1988 to date. (PC Database: contact Policy Analysis Division)
(i) Soil Map of the World: see separate entry