Environmental Performance of Agriculture in OECD Countries

3. About the Agri-Environmental Indicators database

The OECD Agri-environmental Indicators (AEI) database provides comprehensive data on the environmental performance of agriculture across OECD countries and selected partner countries. The database serves as a critical tool for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in assessing trends, identifying policy impacts, and supporting evidence-based decision-making to enhance agricultural sustainability.

Scope and coverage

The AEI database covers a wide range of indicators that measure the environmental footprint of agricultural activities. These indicators are organised into thematic areas such as:

• Agricultural land area: Covers total agricultural land, cropland, pasture as well as organic farming and transgenic crop area.

• Nutrient balances: Tracks nitrogen and phosphorus balances, including detailed nutrient inputs such as fertilisers and manure as well as outputs such as crop harvest and forage.

• Water use and quality: Includes irrigation areas, agricultural water withdrawals, agricultural sources of nitrate and phosphate in surface water, and monitoring sites exceeding thresholds for nitrates and/or pesticides in surface and groundwater.

• Pesticide sales: Monitors sales of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other pesticides.

• Biodiversity: Reports trends in farmland and forest bird populations.

• Air quality: Reports agricultural ammonia emissions and greenhouse gas emissions, by gas and by source, from agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

• Soil erosion: Evaluates land degradation due to water and wind erosion.

• Energy use: Assesses direct on-farm energy consumption.

The database includes historical data spanning from 1985 to the most recent updates, covering all 38 OECD countries, 5 non-OECD EU member states, and 11 emerging economies including Argentina, Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Ukraine and Viet Nam.

Data collection and methodology

Data for the AEI database is compiled through a combination of national statistical sources, international organisations, and OECD-specific surveys. The collection process is coordinated with Eurostat, FAOSTAT, the UNFCCC, and other relevant bodies to ensure consistency and comparability across countries.

• For EU countries, Norway, and Switzerland: Eurostat leads data collection efforts, with the OECD integrating the updates into the AEI database.

• For non-EU OECD countries: The OECD Secretariat distributes tailored questionnaires to collect missing or country-specific data.

• For non-OECD partner countries: Data is obtained from international databases, complemented by national reporting where available.

The methodologies used align with international standards, including the Eurostat/OECD Handbook on Nutrient Budgets and IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

Data accessibility and visualisation

The AEI database is hosted on the OECD Data Explorer platform, providing users with interactive access to individual datasets by thematic area. The platform allows users to explore trends, compare countries, and generate customised visualisations for policy analysis.

The AEI database can be accessed here:

• Agri-environmental indicators: all data

• Agricultural land area

• Ammonia emissions

• Biodiversity

• Energy use

• Nutrients balances

• Pesticides use

• Soil erosion

• Water quality

• Water use

Additionally, the OECD AEI dashboard, published as a web-based tool, presents key agri-environmental indicators in an intuitive and accessible format. The dashboard is regularly updated, with the latest version including expanded country coverage and refined data integration.

The AEI dashboard can be accessed at https://www.oecd.org/en/data/dashboards/measuring-the-environmental-performance-of-agriculture.html.

Future developments

The AEI database will continue to evolve, with enhancements in data granularity, methodological improvements, and expanded geographic coverage. By continuously refining the AEI database, the OECD aims to support informed policymaking and promote sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.