Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that collects, analyses and publishes global agricultural data, including extensive statistics on grape growing and wine production. Within the context of wine, the FAO is primarily known for its role as a provider of harmonised production, area and yield data rather than as a regulatory body.[1]
Role in the wine sector
The FAO does not regulate wine production or trade. Instead, it functions as a global statistical and analytical authority, supplying baseline data used by governments, researchers, international organisations and industry bodies. Its datasets are frequently used to assess long-term trends in vineyard area, grape output and agricultural productivity.[2]
FAO data are often cited in academic literature and policy analysis as a neutral reference point for comparing wine-producing countries across different climatic and economic contexts.[3]
FAOSTAT
FAOSTAT is the FAO’s primary statistical database and the main source of its wine-related data. It provides annual figures on:
- Vineyard surface area
- Grape production volumes
- Yield per hectare
- Agricultural trade categories related to grapes and wine
FAOSTAT data are widely used as the foundation for global wine production comparisons, particularly in historical and macroeconomic studies.[4]
Relationship with the wine sector
Although FAO statistics are frequently quoted in wine publications, the organisation focuses on agriculture as a whole and does not differentiate wine grapes from table grapes or raisins in the same level of technical detail as specialist wine bodies. As a result, FAO figures are often complemented by more wine-specific datasets when analysing the global wine market.[5]
FAO and OIV
For wine-specific statistical analysis, FAO data are commonly used alongside figures published by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). In some cases, the two organisations cooperate on joint publications and methodological alignment, with FAO providing agricultural production data and OIV focusing on wine-sector structure, consumption and regulation.[6][7]
Use in economic and trade analysis
FAO grape and wine statistics underpin many studies of international wine markets, trade flows and long-term structural change. Economists frequently rely on FAO data as a consistent baseline for cross-country comparison, particularly when analysing emerging producers or shifts in vineyard distribution.[8][9]
FAO datasets are also used in conjunction with broader agricultural and trade statistics from institutions such as the World Bank when assessing wine within a wider policy or development framework.[10]
Historical perspective
Over time, FAO data have documented major structural shifts in global viticulture, including the post-war expansion of vineyard area, the rise of New World producers and recent stabilisation or decline of vineyard surface in parts of Europe.[11][12]
See also
References
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, Oxford University Press, 2015, ISBN 9780198705383.
- ↑ Unwin, Wine and the Vine, Routledge, 1991, ISBN 9780415042698.
- ↑ Jackson, Wine Science, Academic Press, 2020, ISBN 9780128161180.
- ↑ FAO, “FAOSTAT: grapes and wine”, https://www.fao.org/faostat
- ↑ Johnson & Robinson, The World Atlas of Wine, Mitchell Beazley, 2019, ISBN 9781784724030.
- ↑ FAO & OIV, “Joint wine sector publications”.
- ↑ OIV, “Global wine statistics”, https://www.oiv.int
- ↑ Anderson & Nelgen, Global Wine Markets, University of Adelaide Press, 2011, ISBN 9780987073051.
- ↑ Anderson & Pinilla, Wine Globalization, Cambridge University Press, 2018, ISBN 9781108445687.
- ↑ World Bank, “Agricultural trade data (wine)”, https://www.worldbank.org
- ↑ Phillips, A Short History of Wine, HarperCollins, 2000, ISBN 9780066212821.
- ↑ Beck et al., Viticulture in Cool Climates, Springer, 2019, ISBN 9783030204377.