What is it?
The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries integrates information on the environment and economic activities of agriculture, forestry and fisheries using the structures and principles laid out in the SEEA Central Framework. These activities depend directly on, as well as have an impact upon, the environment and its resources. Integrating information about agriculture, forestry and fisheries facilitates understanding of the trade-offs and dependencies between these activities and their related environmental factors. Understanding this complex relationship is critical for the analysis of sustainable food and agriculture.
How it works
The accounts in SEEA Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries are most commonly compiled at the level of the individual product and use two main types of accounts to capture relevant agriculture, forestry and fisheries information:
- Flow accounts: In physical terms, these accounts record physical flows of agriculture, forestry, and fishery products between the environment and the economy. Parallel monetary accounts then record the monetary flows associated with agriculture, forestry and fishery transactions for products.
- Asset accounts: These accounts measure the quantity of agriculture, forestry and fishery resources and changes in these resources over an accounting period. These accounts can be compiled in physical terms, which provide important information on the stock of environmental assets. Parallel monetary accounts then record the monetary flows associated with transactions for the agriculture, fishery or forest products.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Accounting and the SEEA Central Framework
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Accounts are one of the many types of accounts covered by the SEEA Central Framework. These accounts use the same accounting concepts as the SEEA and can be considered an application of the SEEA but with a specific focus on agricultural, forestry and fisheries activities.
Link to Ecosystem Accounting
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Accounts are key to supporting the development of ecosystem accounts, particularly in terms of measuring the supply of ecosystem services. Click here for more information on the relationship between agriculture, forestry and fishery accounting and ecosystem accounting.
