A Regional Framework on Monitoring Food Security in the Arab Region was developed in consultation and coordination with the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD), FAO, national focal points and experts from the region. On 28 March 2019, this framework was adopted by the Executive Council of AOAD after being presented to its General Assembly in its 35th Session.

This framework takes into consideration regional specificities and its alignment with the integrated approach of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and intends to highlight national strength, weakness and priorities for interventions under the 4 pillars defining Food Security (access, availability, utilization, and sustainability). The framework is therefore built using three outcome indicators; referred to as “core indicators”. Revolving around them, are 21 causal indicators, divided into the four dimensions of food security according to the scope and nature of each indicator. 

This Manual contains a detailed description of each of the 24 used indicators and its computation method. Each indicator starts with a definition that is directly extracted from its official metadata page, followed by its method of measurement by the source itself, justification for its selection, its linkages with the SDGs, the possible data source and finally the normalization procedure.