The main objectives of this manual are the following:
To provide a comprehensive description of the
methodology employed by the OECD to
calculate indicators of agricultural support, by using descriptive text, mathematical equations and empirical examples. To describe the economic theory and principles which underlie this
methodology.
To illustrate the practical application of this
methodology, including how best to deal with
data limitations, and to assist those wishing to replicate the method and apply it to other countries or commodities. To explain how the indicators can be used for policy evaluation and modelling.
This manual is to be used in conjunction with other publicly available documentation, including the annual report Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries, the bi-annual report Agricultural Policies in Emerging Economies: Monitoring and Evaluation; and the indicator database available at http://www.oecd.org/agriculture/pse.
Target readership
This manual will be of assistance to those wanting to gain a greater appreciation of the method and process used to calculate the indicators, including:
Policy makers and analysts who would like to use the
methodology for policy evaluation,
to classify a new policy measure, or to evaluate the impact of a policy change on the indicators. Researchers who would like to use the economic information contained within the database or to calculate the indicators for other commodities or countries.
Modellers who would like to use the information contained in the indicator database as an input into their own models, so that they understand the character of the information, and can appropriately take this into account in designing their model structures and values.