Data collection and analysis tools for food security and nutrition

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DATA COLLECTION AND 
ANALYSIS TOOLS 
FOR FOOD 
SECURITY AND NUTRITION
Towards enhancing effective, inclusive, 
evidence-informed, decision making
SEPTEMBER 2022

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HLPE-FSN Steering Committee
Chairperson: 
Bernard Lehmann (Switzerland)
Vice-chairperson: 
Jennifer Clapp (Canada)
Members:
Olanike Adeyemo (Nigeria), Barbara Burlingame (New Zealand), Ruben 
Echeverría (Uruguay), Hilal Elver (Türkiye), William Moseley (United States of America), 
Nitya Rao (India), Elisabetta Recine (Brazil), José María Sumpsi Viñas (Spain), Akiko 
Suwa-Eisenmann (Japan), Stefan Tangermann (Germany), Shakuntala Thilsted (Trinidad 
and Tobago), Patrick Webb (United States of America), Iain Wright (United Kingdom of 
Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Experts participate in the work of the HLPE-FSN in their individual capacities, not as 
representatives of their respective governments, institutions or organizations.
HLPE-FSN drafting team
Team Leader: Carlo Cafiero (Italy)
Team Members:
Maria Blanco (Spain), Michaël Chelle (France), Dilfuza Egamberdieva 
(Uzbekistan), Rebecca Kanter (United States of America), Stephen Kimani (Kenya), 
Marian Kjellevold (Norway), Lynnette Neufeld (Canada), Leila Oliveira (Brazil), Christian 
Schader (Switzerland), Sangeetha Shyam (India) 
HLPE-FSN Secretariat
Coordinator: 
Évariste Nicolétis
Programme officer: 
Paola Termine
Administrative support:
Massimo Giorgi
Communication specialist:
Silvia Meiattini
Intern: 
Élize Dushime
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome, Italy
Tel: [phone]
www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe
[e-mail]
Cover photo: © WFP/Muna Abdelhakim
A little girl is being tested for malnutrition with mid upper arm circumference test (MUAC).

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This report by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE-FSN) has been 
approved by the HLPE-FSN Steering Committee.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Committee on World Food Security, 
of its members, participants, or of the Secretariat. The mention of specific companies or products of 
manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed 
or recommended by the HLPE-FSN in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
This report is made publicly available and its reproduction and dissemination is encouraged. Non 
commercial uses will be authorized free of charge, upon request. Reproduction for resale or other 
commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to 
reproduce or disseminate this report should be addressed by e-mail to [e-mail] with copy to 
[e-mail].
Referencing this report: 
HLPE. 2022. Data collection and analysis tools for food security and nutrition: 
towards enhancing effective, inclusive, evidence-informed, decision making. A report by the High Level 
Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome. 

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iv 
]
HLPE Reports series 
#1 Price volatility and food security (2011) 
#2 Land tenure and international investments in agriculture (2011) 
#3 Food security and climate change (2012) 
#4 Social protection for food security (2012) 
#5 Biofuels and food security (2013) 
#6 Investing in smallholder agriculture for food security (2013) 
#7 Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition (2014) 
#8 Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems (2014) 
#9 Water for food security and nutrition (2015) 
#10 Sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition: what roles forlivestock? (2016) 
#11 Sustainable forestry for food security and nutrition (2017) 
#12 Nutrition and foodsystems (2017) 
#13 Multi-stakeholder partnerships to finance and improve food security and nutrition in the framework 
of the 2030 Agenda (2018) 
#14 Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that 
enhance food security and nutrition (2019) 
#15 Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030 (2020) 
#16 Promoting youth engagement and employment in agriculture and food systems (2021) 
#17 Data collection and analysis tools for food security and nutrition: towards enhancing effective, 
inclusive, evidence-informed, decision making (2022)
All HLPE reports are available at www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe.

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CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES 
viii
LIST OF FIGURES 
viii
LIST OF BOXES 
ix
FOREWORD 
xi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
xiii
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 
xiv
KEY MESSAGES 
xvi
INTRODUCTION 
1
CHAPTER 1. SETTING THE STAGE 
8
Defining key terms 
9
Defining data 
9
Defining analysis tools 
10
Defining data governance 
12
A conceptual framework to inform data collection and analysis 
tools for food security and nutrition 
12
Data-informed decision-making cycle 
16
Using the conceptual framework and the data-informed 
decision-making cycle to address issues relevant for FSN 
18
CHAPTER 2. A REVIEW OF EXISTING FSN DATA COLLECTION 
AND ANALYSIS INITIATIVES 
24
Illustrative Overview of existing FSN data 
25
FSN data and information systems relevant at the macro (distal) level 
25
FSN data and information at the meso (proximal) level 
28

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DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS TOOLS FOR FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION
vi 
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FSN data and information at the micro (immediate) level 
32
Challenges and opportunities for FSN data-informed decision-making 
36
Set priorities for data 
38
Gather, curate and disseminate data 
40
Data analysis 
40
Translate data and use for decision-making 
45
CHAPTER 3. CONSTRAINTS, BOTTLENECKS
(AND SOME SOLUTIONS) FOR EFFECTIVE USE OF FSN DATA 
48
Insufficient resources for data collection and analysis 
49
Financial constraints 
50
Human resource constraints 
54
Inadequate institutional arrangement and data governance 
57
Constraints that limit stakeholder engagement 
57
Constraints related to the lack of coordination among agencies 
58
Constraints that create a lack of transparency and of appropriate regulatory frameworks 
60
CHAPTER 4. NEW AND EMERGING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES 
FOR FSN DATA 
62
Landscape and relevance of new and emerging digital technologies to FSN 
63
Define/refine evidence priorities and questions 
65
Review, consolidate, collect and curate data 
66
Analyse data using appropriate tools 
70
Translate data into results, insights and conclusions 
72
Disseminate, share, review, discuss results, refine insights and conclusions 
72
Use results, insights and conclusions to make decisions 
73
Risks associated with digital technologies for FSN and their mitigation 
75
Ethics, data protection, trust, justice and identity 
75
Quality of data 
79
Interoperability of data 
80
Capacity, equity, scalability and sustainability 
80
CHAPTER 5. INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNANCE FOR FSN DATA 
COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND USE 
82
Issues of relevance for data governance 
84
The debate on the nature of data and the role of data markets 
84
The questions of data ownership and the social value of data 
86

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vii
CONTENTS
Priority objectives for FSN data-governance initiatives 
90
Achieving adherence to global standards and harmonization of data 
90
Promoting broader, quicker and more effective circulation of data needed 
to inform FSN policy and actions 
91
Ensuring adequate mechanisms are in place to protect individual and collective rights 
92
Relevant recent initiatives on data governance for FSN 
94
World Bank open data 
94
Open science initiatives and the Fair and Care data principles 
94
Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics 
96
Initiatives in stakeholder collaboration 
96
Greater attention to data quality issues 
98
Challenges to data governance from data-driven technologies 
98
Solutions to enhance FSN data governance 
99
Streamlining transnational and national data governance for FSN 
99
Inclusive approach to data governance 
99
Increasing transparency and governance of official statistics for FSN 
99