National workshop on SDG indicators 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 in Maputo (Mozambique)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SETSAN), is hosting a national training on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) data analysis and Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU) Methodology in Maputo, Mozambique from December 11 to December 15, 2023.

As the custodian agency for SDG indicator 2.1.1 (PoU) and 2.1.2 (FIES), FAO promotes the adoption of the FIES and PoU methodologies by national governmental institutions and to train these institutions on data analysis and reporting. Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mozambique has made significant strides in monitoring their progress. In 2017, the SDG National Reference Group (GRN-SDG) was established in the country which played a crucial role in coordinating the monitoring process, engaging various stakeholders, and preparing the Voluntary National Review in 2020.

This intensive training aimed to enhance the capacity of national institutions in Mozambique to analyze food insecurity data and produce reliable indicators. The workshop focused on the FIES methodology and PoU, providing hands-on training sessions to equip participants with the necessary skills to measure and interpret food insecurity indicators using datasets such as the Household Budget Survey (IOF) 2020 and 2022.

The five-day training program covered a range of topics, including an introduction to SDGs and FAO's role, detailed sessions on SDG 2.1 and computing the PoU, hands-on technical sessions analyzing the Mozambique IOF 2020 and 2022 dataset to derive FIES estimates using STATA, discussions on data collection challenges, and practical aspects of including the FIES module in a survey. The program also featured the use of the Shiny APP for FIES data analysis and results interpretation, culminating in a discussion on the PoU and FIES estimates and their policy implications for Mozambique.

Outcomes:

• Enhanced understanding of FAO's role in supporting countries for SDG work.
• Deep understanding of SDG indicators, especially the food insecurity indicators.
• Thorough explanation of the foundations of the FIES methodology.
• Application of the FIES analytical protocol to measure food insecurity indicators using survey data.
• Improved ability to interpret and report the results of SDG food insecurity indicators.

Participants:

A total of 21 participants, consisting of technicians working on food security in government institutions, academia, and other organizations attended the workshop. They include representatives from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the Technical Secretariat for Food and Nutritional Security (SETSAN), the Food Security Early Warning System/National Directorate of Agriculture and Forests (DNAF), the Directorate of Planning and Policies (DPP), the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering of Eduardo Mondlane University (FAEF/UEM), and FAO.