New standards launched to connect farmer registries and social protection systems

Rome - Governments worldwide now have access to a groundbreaking set of standards to better integrate their farmer registries with social protection systems. Developed by the Digital Convergence Initiative (DCI), with contributions from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), these standards provide guidelines for improved data sharing.

These guidelines identify essential information for interoperability, along with practical examples for implementation. By enabling coordination across systems, they contribute to enhance the delivery of social protection benefits, such as cash transfers, pensions, health insurance, and skills training for job market entry.

“This milestone will help smallholder farmers, who are the backbone of agrifood systems, secure their right to social protection, which is especially important in the context of climate change and food crises,” says Marco Knowles, FAO Senior Social Policy Officer and co-chair of the DCI.  

Flexible by design, the standards are adaptable to different national contexts, reflecting the diverse nature of farmer registries worldwide.

Bridging the gap

Despite producing a third of the world’s food, small family farmers—who make up the majority of the poorest rural households in low-income countries—are still largely excluded from social protection.

The newly released standards aim to close the gap in social protection by making public policies more efficient and effective.

While social registries collect information about individuals or households eligible for support, farmer registries focus on agricultural activities such as land use and production. Linking these platforms can be a powerful solution for planning and delivering targeted support.

FAO-supported initiatives have showcased the potential of this approach. For example, the Zambia Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (ZIAMIS) has registered over one million farmers, connecting them with input support and digital financial services. Similarly, Lebanon relied on its farmer registry to provide targeted assistance during the economic crisis and COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite these successes, many countries lack a clear framework for system integration and data exchange. FAO and its partners remain committed to supporting efforts to overcome this challenge.

About the Digital Convergence Initiative

The standards were developed through a consultative process led by the DCI and endorsed by the Global Partnership for Universal Social Protection (USP2030). A committee of 18 experts from 16 organizations, co-chaired by FAO, spearheaded the drafting process.

Established in 2021, the DCI brings together members of USP2030, including governments, development partners, civil society organizations and private companies. This initiative tackles the fragmentation of information systems in social protection, which often undermines coordination and leads to inefficiencies in public spending.

At the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2024, Martin Seychell, Deputy Director  at the  European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA)-one of the main funders of the DCI, alongside Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)- emphasized, “Social protection is the most powerful tool we have to end poverty, and digital technologies can help us accelerate and improve this progress.”