Access%20to%20micro-data:%20Experience%20from%20using%20data%20for%20agricultural%20policy%20analysis

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Access to micro-data Experience from using data
for agricultural policy analysis

• Catherine Moreddu
• OECD, Agriculture Directorate

OECD conference Assessing the feasibility of
micro-data access, Luxembourg, 26-27 October 2006
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A users point of view

• The Directorate for Food, Agriculture and
  Fisheries of the OECD
• analyses policy issues
• evaluates current policies and policy reform wrt
  to their objectives and to reform principles
  (including equity)

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Why disaggregated information is needed for
agricultural policy analysis?

• Policies (policy reform) have distributional
  impacts, some have distributional objectives
• Increasing interest in these issues increasing
  heterogeneity in farm households, payments more
  visible, targeting, etc.
• More quantitative approaches (econometrics)
• Many government-related institutes are engaged in
  this type of work

Need for disaggregated (micro-level) data
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Recent examples

• Income study distribution of support and impact
  on the distribution of income
• Decoupling estimation of the impact of different
  types of payments on farmers production
  decisions (risk aversion)
• Agricultural policy and trade reform potential
  effects at global, national and household levels

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Different types of analysis

• Data analysis
• Econometric and modelling analysis

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Approaches

• Income study
• LIS Frequency of low-income households
• Customised FADN groups (quartiles, deciles)
  distribution of support
• Decoupling
• Consultant with access to micro data (FADN,
  insurance data) to do the analysis
• Agricultural policy and trade reform
• Consultants with access to survey data, or
• Consultants to merge existing data sources into a
  database to do the analysis

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Data issues

• Coverage (off-farm income, small farms)
• Frequency and timeliness (farm income
  variability)
• Panel
• Small number of farm households in general
  surveys
• Confidentiality (limits access and matching of
  data sources)
• Political sensitivity (income)

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Lessons

• It is crucial for agricultural policy analysis to
  be able to use disaggregated information
• Regular analysis at micro-level is beyond AGR
  resource availabilities
• National research institutes would be better
  placed
• Access to data
• Technical expertise
• Country knowledge

Network
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First phase 2007-08

• OECD (Secretariat and delegates) to suggest the
  type of policy issues, which will determine
• the scope and data needs OECD countries, farm or
  rural households?
• experts and institutes with adequate access to
  data and expertise, and interested in
  collaboration
• OECD role organiser, synthesis reports
• Network expert meetings to identify
• priority research issues
• Data availability
• Analytical approach
• Time table

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Initial thoughts on objectives

• Identify data availability Comparing definitions
  and availability of data concerning the economic
  and financial status of farm households in OECD
  Member countries
• Undertake research based on those data, e.g.
• Evaluate the income situation of farm households
• distributional consequences of agricultural and
  trade policy reform
• linkages between the diversification of income
  sources and the rural economy
• Allow flexibility in analytical approaches no
  one size fits all

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Your views are welcome on

• Attractivity for partners
• Feasibility
• Institutional setting role for the OECD,
  relationships with existing networks, incentives

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Thank you for your attention