National Accounts - Agriculture LINKING AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS TO OTHER DATA SOURCES FOR ANALYSING RURAL INDICATORS OF SOCIAL WELL BEING AND EQUITY

concepts useful at a specific stage of history, for the analysis of specific issues in general, may loose validity over time and this may happen only in some part of the world, owing to changes in the economies and in the relevant issues, yet, they may mean still the same elsewhere as before. The dichotomy of rural-urban or agriculture-industry is a good example for it. The very early version of this dichotomy was probably a little different. It was the consequence of the theoretical distinction between the “sterile and productive sectors” as early classical economists have defined them. In more recent history agriculture was identified almost only with “rural” and industry with “urban”. Yet, nowadays in the developed part of the world, “urban-agriculture” is an emerging concept and agriculture represents only a fraction of economic activities within rural areas. Problems observed in rural areas require approaches beyond agricultural policy issues and for sound decision-making “new” rural indicators are required. The creation of “new” rural indicators poses certain challenges. International Organizations, like FAO that communicate both to developing and developed world has surely be more selective. The language that will be developed by indicators has to be common to the world as much as possible. The same challenge is valid for countries at an intermediate stage of development like Turkey. These may have regions as in developing countries but also regions like in the developed world. This paper will address to these issues in two parts. Previous work done in theory will be reviewed in the first part. Two specific studies on “well being” in rural Turkey will be presented in the second part. 1 Professor at Middle East Technical University, Department of Economics, Ankara, Turkey. This paper has been prepared by the author at the request of Statistical Analysis Service, Statistics Division, FAO for making a presentation in the 8 IWG.AGRI Seminar, Perspectives for Agriculture and Rural Indicators and Sustainability, Château de la Muette, Paris, 21-22 November 2002. The author gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the Statistics Division, FAO.