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In response to a growing demand for high-quality and internationally-comparable statistics, FAO develops, implements and promotes methods and standards to guide national data producers in generating and using sound statistics. In particular, the Organization is committed to provide national statistical systems with internationally recognized definitions, concepts and classifications as well as methodological guidance for the production of high quality statistics related to food and agriculture. Find all of FAO's methods and standards - here. Find the most recently published methods and standards under "Download PDF".

The Food Loss and Waste database is the largest online collection of data on both food loss and food waste and causes reported throughout the literature. The database contains data and information from openly accessible reports and studies measuring food loss and waste across food products, stages of the value chain, and geographical areas. In October 2019, more than 480 publications and reports from various sources (e.g., subnational reports, academic studies, and reports from national and international organizations such as the World Bank, GIZ, FAO, IFPRI, and other sources), which have produced more than 20 thousand data points, were included. Data [...]

The Crop Sector Development Strategy for Eastern Africa 2021 - 2026 defines a series of goals and interventions agreed by representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture from the countries within the jurisdiction of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Subregional Office for Eastern Africa, as well as inputs from FAO representatives in the member countries, the East African Community Secretariat, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Secretariat, the Desert Locust Control Organization for Eastern Africa and the CGIAR centres.The Strategy presents a holistic approach to improving crop production and productivity through a unified approach. This should be [...]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed this three-year strategy to strengthen resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods in Nigeria under recurring threats from both conflict and natural hazard-induced disasters to better withstand shocks and thrive. It integrates the pathways for resilience through four main outcome areas. The first one is the strengthening of the national institutions and their entities for disaster risk reduction, natural resources management and food crisis prevention and management in the agriculture sector. Secondly, it aims to inform agriculture-based livelihood interventions with reliable data, analysis and a well-established early warning system against known and [...]

The arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) of Kenya cover nearly 84 percent of the national land and thus present an enormous potential contribution to national agricultural production as well as basic food and income for farmers residing in these areas. About three in every ten Kenyan children aged below two years are stunted. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2014, Kitui county and West Pokot county had the highest stunting rates nationally at almost 46 percent. This is against a national average stunting rate of 26 percent.There have been multiple past projects in Kitui county that aimed [...]

This country report integrates methods, analysis and findings of two studies that explore the impact of a package of short-term humanitarian and recovery interventions in response to food crisis affecting poor and vulnerable livelihoods in Mali. The design of the studies, data collection and research were funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development through the Universidad de los Andes for the project: “Improving the articulation between social protection interventions and rural productive development in developing countries: lessons from Latin America and Africa" and the FAO Regular Programme funds.

A primer to the right to adequate foodThis course is part of the e-learning curriculum "Right to Food in Practice" and it introduces the principles and concept of the human right to adequate food and its practical application.The course also provides an overview of the historical development of this human right, the human rights based approach to development, recourse mechanisms, the Right to Food Guidelines and describes the rights, obligations and responsibilities of rights-holders and duty-bearers of the right to food.The course is available in English, French and Spanish. Methodologies for implementing the right to foodThis course is part of the [...]

Consumer organizations represent the interests and concerns of consumers. They empower and increase consumers’ understanding of their rights, including the right to adequate food. Consumers can influence the sustainable transformation of our agri-food systems by: supporting fair trade to foster equality and stronger economies, demanding food safey and access to healthy and nutritious diets; adopting healthy and nutritious diets; supporting the sustainable use and preservation of our natural resources. Consumers have a key role in changing our agri-food systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Also available in Spanish.

Food is a human right. Yet hundreds of millions are still going to bed hungry. FAO´s Right to Food Guidelines recommend how to take action, so that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and affordable food every day. The Guidelines are a powerful policy tool to end hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.Many countries are taking steps in line with these guidelines. Some are examples are:    In 45 countries, the right to food is recognized by their Constitutions.    In Indonesia, indigenous peoples´access to natural resources and their ancestral forets is legally guaranteed.    In Sierra Leone, rural communities took [...]

A healthy diet of fresh vegetables, proteins and fruit is a key ingredient for eliminating hunger and all forms of malnutrition and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger by 2030. Unfortunately, a healthy diet has become an unaffordable luxury for close to 1 billion Africans, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 report.Globally, the cost of a healthy diet is above the international poverty line, meaning that people earning less than US$1.90 per day cannot afford to eat adequate calories and nutrients from diverse food groups. Compared to other regions, this affordability crisis [...]