The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) held a series of technical meetings with federal government ministries between February 24 and 27 to present the calendar for the 2026-2030 Census Cycle and strengthen institutional cooperation in preparing for the next census operations. The initiative aims to expand the conversations with agencies responsible for strategic thematic areas and improve survey planning.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the technical project for the 12th Census of Agriculture, Forestry, and Aquaculture, an operation considered complex due to its scope encompassing the diversity of the Brazilian rural landscape. The survey intends to include everything from family farms to large agricultural enterprises with business structures, as well as production carried out in the territories of traditional peoples and communities.

The project was presented to the technical teams of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), responsible for managing public policies focused on the agricultural sector and agricultural business. The presentation was led by the coordinator of Agricultural Statistics at IBGE, Vando da Paz Nascimento, and the general coordinator of Census Operations, Fernando Damasco. During the meeting, ministry technicians were able to clear doubts and present suggestions related to the scope of the survey.

“Interinstitutional coordination is key to the success of a census operation. It ensures that all potential data users be aware of the importance of the Census of Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture for improving the public policies for which they are responsible, and that they identify how they can collaborate to the success of the operation, guaranteeing an accurate picture of Brazil's productive reality,” explained Fernando Damasco, General Coordinator of Census Operations.

The proposal was also discussed with representatives of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture (MDA), responsible for formulating and implementing public policies aimed at strengthening family farming. The meeting presented planned advancements in the next census operation, especially in the statistical portrayal of family farming and in surveying the production of traditional peoples and communities. Possibilities for monitoring the testing phases and sharing relevant databases for the survey were also discussed.

For Marta Antunes, manager of Traditional Peoples and Communities and Specific Population Groups, this is an important step in the construction of the operation. “For the first time, the Census of Agriculture, Forestry, and Aquaculture will allow different ministries and institutes access to official statistics on the productive agri-food systems of Traditional Peoples and Communities. Reporting on progress in the mapping and planning stages and having the support of the various bodies working on the subject and the representatives of these peoples are essential for the planning, awareness-raising, and subsequent data collection stages in traditional communities.”

MAPA and MDA are part of the Steering Council for the 12th Census of Agriculture, Forestry, and Aquaculture and are among the main designers of public policies focused on Brazilian agrarian space.

The agenda also included meetings with institutions involved in the designers of public policies for traditional peoples and communities. The census's technical project was presented to teams from the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), and the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS). The objective was to broaden the statistical visibility of agricultural and wild-crop harvesting production of traditional peoples and communities that are part of the National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT), as well as to align concepts and promote the sharing of information.

"Every census campaign represents a great challenge and is only possible with the collaboration of the entire society. Dialogue with ministries and other public administration entities, as well as federations and representatives of civil society, is fundamental for disseminating the project and raising awareness among the producers who will assist our enumerators. This week we had crucial meetings with strategic partners who will assist us in planning and improving the project for the 12th Census of Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture. We are very satisfied with the agreements reached," recalled Vando Nascimento, Coordinator of Agricultural Statistics.

The initiative was also presented to the National Council for Indigenous Policy (CNPI), linked to the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), by Marta Antunes, IBGE manager of Traditional Peoples and Communities and Specific Population Groups at the Directorate of Surveys. The topic was further explored in technical meetings with the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai) and the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (Sesai) of the Ministry of Health.

In addition to discussions on the census of agriculture, the program included a technical meeting at the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), dedicated to planning the National Census of the Population Experiencing Homelessness. During the meeting, the Directorate of Policies for the  Population Experiencing Homelessness presented the methodology for mapping areas with the highest incidence of this population in municipalities.

The work was discussed with teams from the Coordination of Territorial Structures of the IBGE Directorate of Geosciences, who considered the information an important input for planning the territorial base of the operation.

According to the Institute, in addition to raising awareness among the populations that will be visited and interviewed, cooperation with ministries and federal agencies allows for the exchange of concepts and methodologies. This collaboration aims to ensure that census operations are carried out to high technical standards, contributing to the production of information that supports the making of public policies.