The COVID-19 health crisis is having wide-reaching effects on all parts of society, including on food systems, livelihoods and food security. Timely and reliable information is essential to anticipate and mitigate its negative impacts, in particular, to identify those areas where the pandemic is generating new and unprecedented stress. Traditionally food insecurity hotspots in emergency contexts are most affected, also due to difficulties in supplying humanitarian assistance. In addition, depending on the response to the pandemic, new pockets of food insecurity may appear, even in countries and populations that have not previously been the focus of food security crises. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FAO is reorienting and upscaling its work on data, information and analysis. Data for decision-making aims to equip countries to implement timely and effective responses to the COVID-19 crisis and promote a swift recovery thereafter. 

In the framework of FAO’s comprehensive COVID-19 response, the data for decision-making programme is structured around four components: Rapid, repeated assessments of the impact of COVID-19 on food insecurity, using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES); Leveraging innovative data sources to monitor the impact of COVID-19; Adapting agricultural data collection methods to meet new demands, while maintaining the continuity of technical assistance on agricultural surveys; Evidence-based policy support for post-COVID-19 economic and social recovery.