The International Institute of Agriculture and the Information Infrastructure of World Trade (1905-1946)

Abstract

The International Institute of Agriculture was the first institution to engage in the systematic production and circulation of global data on crops, cultivated areas, and trade flows. This article analyses the process whereby statistical output became recognized as a specific mission of this intergovernmental organization, autonomous from other types of world information systems. We will study the Institute’s Bureau of Statistics, looking at both its organization and its role in gathering, processing, and publishing data. Last, we will examine the international debates and data dissemination strategies of the Institute to identify how the Bureau’s agenda evolved to address new priorities and adapt to the dramatic changes in the structure of world markets.