Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture (SC-AGR)

Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture

At its first meeting in 2020, SERCOM decided to establish the Standing Committee on Services for Agriculture (SC-AGR) for the first intersessional period, with the terms of reference provided here. The SC-AGR is composed of several technical experts, including the Chair (Prof. Roger Christopher Stone) and Vice-chair (Dr. Elena Mateescu), selected from the WMO Expert Network by the President of the Commission. Other technical experts may be invited, on a needs basis, to serve as Observers on the Standing Committee, as determined by the chair/vice-chair of the Standing Committee in consultation with the president of the Services Commission. For the biography of the group members, click here.

The SC-AGR replaces the former Commission on Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM), which successfully operated between 1999 - 2020. An overview of the proceedings of CAgM is provided here .

Purpose of SC-AGR

In addition to the terms of reference the purpose of SC-AGR is described in the following:

Review and update user needs and requirements on all aspects of agrometeorological services and practices across agricultural value chain & various agricultural sub-sectors (crops, livestock, forestry, rangelands, and fisheries sectors);
Review and update standards and guidance on all aspects of agrometeorological services and practices including drought;
Provide technical assistance to GFCS on agriculture and food security;
Assess the WMO role in supporting the food security agenda and define possible related activities together with SC-CLI and SC-HYD;
Provide capacity building, technical advice, and tools to WMO Members on agrometeorological issues;
Provide scientific and technical advice to the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) and work with FAO and UNCCD.

The SC-AGR is working on guidance materials addressing its terms of reference in five expert teams which are regionally, and gender-balanced. The expert teams, as well as their composition, objectives, and working progress, are listed in more detail below.