Detailed, comprehensive and timely data is essential to address the impact of shocks such as droughts, earthquakes or conflict on agricultural production and livelihoods in parts of the world affected by food crises.

Since its launch, during the first wave of the COVID-19 global pandemic three years ago, the Data in Emergencies (DIEM) Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has made it easier for decision-makers to assess the acute food insecurity of agricultural households and analyse its drivers when such shocks occur.

Driven by regularly collected primary data, combined with geospatial data, DIEM is a ground-breaking tool in terms of its size, sophistication, quality and speed. This is the first time that data focussing on agricultural livelihoods in food crisis contexts is being collected on this scale and frequency.

DIEM is currently active in more than 25 food-crisis countries and the DIEM-Monitoring system surveys approximately 150 000 households per year, representing more than 650 million people.