Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM)

The Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM) provides scientific and technological guidance to WMO Members in the sectors of agricultural, forestry, livestock and fisheries, not only for food production but also for agricultural meteorological risk governance in terms of agro-ecosystem resilience and sustainability, especially with higher priorities on climate services and capacity development. 

Management Group: 

European meteorological services first discussed meteorology and agriculture on an international scale in 1735. The first reference to co-operation between meteorology and agriculture was in correspondence between the International Meteorological Organization (IMO) and certain national institutes of agriculture and forestry, seeking an exchange of meteorological information and data.

The IMO Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM) was appointed in 1913, but the First World War delayed its first meeting. Re-constituted in 1919, that first meeting finally took place in Utrecht, The Netherlands, in 1923. Its seventh, and last meeting, was held in Toronto, Canada, in 1947. The policies and programmes of this last meeting became the foundation of the new WMO Commission for Agricultural Meteorology.

For a history of the Commission, read Commission for Agricultural Meteorology (CAgM): The First Fifty Years

Sessions of the CAgM:

• CAgM-17: Incheon, Republic of Korea (18-20 April 2018)
• CAgM-16: Antalya, Türkiye (10 -15 April 2014)
• CAgM-XV: Belo Horizonte, Brazil (15 - 23 July 2010)
• CAgM-XIV: New Delhi, India (28 October - 3 November 2006)
• CAgM-XIII: Ljubjana, Slovenia (10-18 October 2002)
• CAgM-XII: Accra, Ghana (18-26 February 1999)
• CAgM-XI: Havana, Cuba (13-24 February 1995)
• CAgM-X: Florence, Italy (2-13 December 1991)
• CAgM-IX: Madrid, Spain (17-28 November 1986)
• CAgM-VIII: Geneva, Switzerland (21 February - 4 March 1983)
• CAgM-VII: Sofia, Bulgaria (17-28 September 1979)
• CAgM-VI: Washington, USA (14-25 October 1974)
• CAgM-V: Geneva, Switzerland (18-29 October 1971)
• CAgM-IV: Quezon City, Manila, Philippines (15-29 November 1967)
• CAgM-III: Toronto, Canada (9-26 July 1962)
• CAgM-II: Warsaw, Poland (29 September-17 October 1958)
• CAgM-I: Paris, France (3-20 November 1953)

The 17th Session of CAgM approved priorities for CAgM (2018-2022) (Resolution 4):

(1) Advancing scientific research and its application, as well as the development and implementation of technology to support sustained services outcomes on all scales and especially to address the global challenges of managing climate risks and adapting to climate variability and change through:

(a) Identifying innovative risk management systems in global food production associated with weather and climate risks;

(b) Developing technological applications to communicate information to agricultural decision-makers across the agricultural systems value chain (farmer-transport-milling/ processing-export/trading (where appropriate);

(c) Reviewing standards for measuring agricultural meteorological parameters with a priority on soil moisture and agricultural mass and energy flux measurements;

(2) Improving service quality and service delivery by:

(a) Developing enhanced services for the agricultural, livestock, forestry, rangeland and fishery communities including agricultural meteorological consultancy;

(b) Engaging with the agriculture and food security priority area of GFCS and similar relevant climate service initiatives globally; 

(c) Encouraging development of a knowledge-sharing interface between forecasters and scientists, extension services and the agricultural decision-makers, with information flow in both directions;

(d) Identifying agricultural meteorological information needs of the vulnerable communities to facilitate development of more useful and appropriate agricultural meteorological information products;

(3) Strengthening capacity development through agricultural meteorological training and education at the regional, national and local levels;

(4) Building and enhancing partnerships and cooperation through working in collaboration with other WMO technical commissions and Members, United Nations agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Group on Earth Observations and other relevant organizations, to create synergies and to support improved agricultural production and economic development;