From agricultural statistics to zero hunger: How the 50x2030 Initiative is closing data gaps for SDG2 and beyond

Abstract

Operational since 2019, the 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap is working with partner countries to produce and use timely, high-quality agricultural and rural data, with a focus on helping them track their progress toward meeting priority indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger and gender equality, and strengthening agricultural data systems, among others. This paper provides an overview of how 50x2030 works toward its vision of strong national agricultural and rural statistical systems in low- and lower-middle-income African, Middle Eastern, Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries. It explains the Initiative’s guiding principles, discusses its approach to robust data production and use, and provides examples of its early impact using the experience of three partner countries, Cambodia, Senegal and Uganda.

The FAO-UN Women partnership to support countries in producing sex-disaggregated data on agricultural landownership: SDG indicator 5.a.1

“…These are the 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap 5 and the integrated land tenure module 6 for joint and harmonized data collection of indicators 5.a.1 and 1.4.2. 7 These two are well documented in [1][2][3][4], respectively, and are briefly described here. All three collectively aim to contribute, in a coordinated and collaborative fashion, to increase the data production for 5.a.1 through statistical surveys.…”

“…This initiative is implemented through a unique partnership between the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. For more information on the 50x2030 Initiative, refer to [1][2][3].…”

“…As of February 2022, only 59% or 136 of the 231 unique SDG indicators had data for more than 50% of countries (the so-called Tier 1 indicators) while the remaining 39% (91) of the indicators are still classified in the Tier 2 category (i.e., indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, but data are not regularly produced by countries). 2 One such tier 2 indicator is indicator 5.a.1 -(a) Percentage of people with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land (out of total agricultural population), by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure.…”

Individual land rights: Filling data gaps with the 50x2030 Initiative

“…The 50x2030 Initiative has developed a set of reference questionnaire instruments, which continue to be expanded and refined. 15 These survey tools have been designed to include the module on measuring land rights at the individual level discussed in Section 3, encouraging the national level collection of these data in 50 countries by 2030. Before addressing the manner in which these questions on land rights were integrated into the Initiative's tools, a brief overview of the 50x2030 survey programs is provided.…”

“…As discussed in Villarino, Buenaseda Tejada, and Patterson [15], the survey programs supported by the 50x2030 Initiative are structured such that a series of survey tools, each with specific topical focuses, are implemented on a rotating basis while core questions on agricultural production are asked on an annual basis. The two programs, the Agricultural Survey Program and the Integrated Agriculture and Rural Survey Program (henceforth referred to as the Integrated Program), differ in that the Integrated Program expands the sample from the inclusion of household and non-household sector farms to also include rural, nonagricultural households.…”