FAO has just released a new publication entitled Methods for estimating comparable prevalence rates of food security experienced by adults throughout the world. This report presents a detailed description of the methodology and first results of FAO's Voices of the Hungry project. It provides the theoretical background and detailed description of the statistical methodology used to develop the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), a new metric for food access at the household and individual levels. 

Application of the FIES in the Gallup© World Poll in 2014 enabled FAO to calculate comparable estimates of the prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity for 146 countries covering nearly 90% of the world population. The main purpose of the report is to allow food security analysts to evaluate the statistical soundness and adequacy of the methods described.

The FIES has been selected by the UN Statistical Commission as a monitoring indicator for SDG Goal 2.2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.  This implies that in order to fulfill their monitoring obligations, countries will start to collect nationally representative data using the FIES or similar food security scales, such as the Household Food Insecurity Experience Scale (HFIAS), the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA), the Brazilian Food Security Scale (EBIA) or the US Household Food Security Survey Module (USHFSSM).

For further information on the Voices of the Hungry project and to download the publication, click here.