The setting of priorities for policy research at the International Food Policy Research Institute depends largely on an understanding of basic national and global trends in food production, consumption, and trade. Although IFPRI draws heavily on the analyses by FAO and other agencies for much of this information, it is also intensely examines the basic data, not only to carefully adjust its own program but to judge independently the key variable in these trends. Initially IFPRI worked largely from USDA data, but recent efforts have depended primarily on FAO statistics. This experience with the published data of both agencies has led Leonardo Paulino and Shen Sheng Tseng to undertake this analyses available to the research community at large, we hope to... |