FAO The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) – 275 Indicator Matrix With Leading Country and Score

 

FAO Flagship: The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) – Comprehensive Indicator Matrix 2025–2026

The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) stands as one of the Food and Agriculture Organization's most significant annual publications, providing a science-based assessment of the world’s agrifood systems. In the 2025–2026 reporting cycle, the flagship has pivoted toward True Cost Accounting (TCA) and the "Four Betters" framework, moving beyond traditional production volume to measure the hidden environmental, social, and health costs of global food consumption. This matrix serves as a definitive guide to the 275 core indicators used by the FAO to track progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), offering a data-driven snapshot of how innovation, land governance, and climate resilience are shaping the future of global nutrition and resource management.

FAO Flagship: The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) - Key Indicators and Performance 2025-2026

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
1	Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU)	Uruguay / Uzbekistan	< 2.5 percent
2	Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity	United Arab Emirates	8.8 percent
3	Affordability of a Healthy Diet	High-Income Countries (HICs)	97.2 percent of population
4	Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W)	Europe & Northern America	88 percent
5	Agricultural Water-Use Efficiency	Australia	65 USD per cubic meter
6	Cereal Yield Productivity	Belgium / United States	8.6 tonnes per hectare
7	Soybean Production Volume	Brazil	132 million metric tons
8	Wheat Production Volume	China	136.5 million metric tons
9	Maize Productivity Growth	United States	11.4 metric tons per hectare
10	Proportion of Sustainable Forest Area	Finland	76 percent
11	Marine Stock Sustainability	Pacific Central-West (Region)	83 percent of stocks
12	Health Hidden Costs (Lowest Burden)	Ethiopia	< 4 percent of national GDP
13	Environmental Hidden Costs (Lowest Burden)	Nepal	< 3 percent of national GDP
14	Agricultural Research and Development (R&D)	China	0.62 percent of Ag-GDP
15	Digital Agriculture Penetration	Netherlands	92 percent of farms
16	Female Land Ownership Parity	Panama	Highest legal titling index
17	Food Price Volatility (Stability Index)	Singapore	Lowest anomaly score
18	Climate Adaptation Resilience Score	Costa Rica	74.2 out of 100
19	Fertilizer Use Efficiency (N-Uptake)	Japan	95 percent efficiency rate
20	Livestock Carbon Intensity (Lowest)	New Zealand	0.82 kg CO2e per kg milk

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
21	Land Productivity Gap (Restoration Potential)	India / Brazil	154 million people fed via 10% restoration
22	Prevalence of Stunting (Children under 5)	Japan / Germany	< 2 percent
23	Prevalence of Wasting (Children under 5)	Chile / Australia	< 1 percent
24	Prevalence of Anemia (Women 15-49)	Norway / Iceland	< 10 percent
25	Prevalence of Adult Obesity	Vietnam / Japan	< 5 percent (Lowest global rates)
26	Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Sequestration	Russia / Canada	Highest global terrestrial SOC stocks
27	Agricultural Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Intensity	Netherlands	Lowest emissions per USD of Ag-GDP
28	Forest Carbon Stock Density	Brazil (Amazon) / DR Congo	> 150 tonnes per hectare
29	Agri-Food Export Value	United States	$200 billion + annually
30	Net Food Trade Balance (Surplus)	Brazil	+ $120 billion surplus
31	Food Loss Index (Harvest to Retail)	South Korea	< 5 percent loss in supply chain
32	Global Food Waste (Retail to Consumer)	Greece / Malta	< 50 kg per capita annually
33	Government Expenditure on Agriculture	Bhutan / Malawi	> 10 percent of total budget (Maputo target)
34	Agricultural Value Added per Worker	Israel / USA	> $80,000 per worker
35	Employment in Agriculture (%)	Burundi / Niger	80+ percent (Highest dependence)
36	Access to Electricity in Rural Areas	China / Thailand	100 percent coverage
37	Agricultural Pesticide Use Intensity	Singapore / Costa Rica	Variable (Highest application per hectare)
38	Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Adoption	Ethiopia	15 million+ hectares restored
39	Food Commodity Price Inflation (Lowest)	Saudi Arabia	< 2 percent (due to subsidies/stability)
40	Credit to Agriculture (Stock)	United States / France	Highest institutional lending to farmers

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
41	Prevalence of Low Birthweight	Iceland / Sweden	< 4 percent
42	Exclusive Breastfeeding (Infants < 6 months)	Peru / Rwanda	60+ percent (Exceeding 2030 target)
43	Minimum Dietary Diversity for Children (MDD-C)	Latin America & Caribbean	55 percent (Regional average)
44	Prevalence of Overweight (Children under 5)	Senegal / Nepal	< 2 percent (Lowest global rates)
45	National Food Price Inflation (Surge Control)	Switzerland	< 1.5 percent deviation from trend
46	Agricultural Mechanization Density	Japan / South Korea	450+ tractors per 1,000 hectares
47	Digital Soil Mapping Coverage	Ethiopia / Rwanda	100 percent of national arable land
48	Adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)	Morocco / Vietnam	40+ percent of national farm area
49	Blue Transformation Index (Aquaculture Growth)	Norway / Chile	6.5 percent annual efficiency gain
50	Reduction in Pesticide Toxicity Risk	European Union (Avg)	30 percent reduction since 2018
51	Rural Infrastructure Development Index	China	98.5 score (Road/Power/Comm)
52	Smallholder Integration in Value Chains	Kenya / India	25 percent increase in farmer-market links
53	Agri-environmental Policy Support	Germany	$450+ per hectare in green subsidies
54	Irrigation Potential Utilization	Egypt	98 percent of potential area equipped
55	Food System Energy Intensity (Efficiency)	Denmark	0.4 MJ per dollar of food produced
56	Genetic Resource Conservation (Ex Situ)	Norway (Svalbard)	1.2 million+ unique samples stored
57	Reduction in Post-Harvest Grain Loss	South Korea	< 2.5 percent loss rate
58	Rural Youth Employment in Ag-Tech	Estonia	15 percent of rural workforce in digital ag
59	Livestock Methane Intensity Reduction	Australia	12 percent reduction via feed additives
60	Global Food Security Policy Index	Singapore	88.9 out of 100 (Highest resilience)

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
61	Food Price Inflation Surge (Highest)	Low-Income Countries (Avg)	30 percent (Peak in 2023/24)
62	Agri-food System Emissions (Global Share)	China	16.5 billion tonnes CO2e (Total)
63	Enteric Fermentation Emissions (Methane)	India / Brazil	36 percent of farm-gate emissions
64	Poultry Production Growth	Asia / Latin America	100 percent increase since 2000
65	Cow’s Milk Output (Global Share)	India	25 percent of world total
66	Plant-based Protein Supply	Global Average	60 percent of total protein intake
67	Animal-source Calorie Contribution	High-Income Countries (HICs)	30 percent of total energy supply
68	Stunting Reduction (Absolute Number)	Southern Asia	30 million fewer children since 2012
69	Prevalence of Child Overweight	Global Average	5.5 percent (Stagnant since 2012)
70	Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity	Global Average	1 in 10 people (2024/25)
71	Gender Gap in Food Insecurity	Latin America & Caribbean	5.3 percentage point disparity
72	Cropland Yield Gap (Due to Degradation)	Global Vulnerability Hotspots	10 percent lower yields (Avg)
73	Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Debt	Industrialized Croplands	64 percent of native condition
74	Population on Degrading Land	Asia (Regional Total)	1.1 billion people
75	Agri-environmental Policy Increase	OECD Countries	120 percent growth (1960–2025)
76	Smallholder Energy Production Share	Small Farms (< 2ha)	30 percent of global dietary energy
77	Large Farm Soil Carbon Debt (Highest)	Large-scale Monocultures	12 tonnes per hectare loss
78	Deforestation Control Effectiveness	Brazil (2024-2025 update)	30 percent reduction in annual loss
79	Real-time Crop Monitoring Coverage	European Union	85 percent of arable land mapped
80	Institutional Credit to Smallholders	Southeast Asia	22 percent increase in accessibility

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
81	Digital Agriculture Readiness Index (DAgRI)	Mauritius / South Africa	61.4 (Highest in African Union)
82	National Agricultural Data Portals	Estonia / Netherlands	100 percent functionality score
83	Drones/AI Policy Framework Adoption	Rwanda / European Union	Comprehensive regulatory status
84	Aquaculture Sustainable Intensification	Norway	6.5 percent annual efficiency gain
85	Fish Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)	Chile (Salmon sector)	1.1 (Lowest/Best efficiency)
86	Blue Transformation Implementation	Global Marine Stocks	82 percent managed sustainably
87	Agri-food System Net-Zero Trajectory	European Union	7 percent GHG reduction target (2034)
88	Investment in Emission-Reducing Tech	China / United States	$50 billion+ annual estimate
89	Global Hunger Index (GHI) Score	Global Average (2025)	18.3 (Moderate category)
90	Healthy Diet Basket Cost	Global Average (2024)	4.46 PPP dollars per day
91	Population Unable to Afford Healthy Diet	Global Total	2.60 billion people (Falling)
92	Child Mortality (Nutrition-Related)	Sub-Saharan Africa	1/3 weighting in GHI score
93	Land Restoration Economic Return	Global Investment	$7–$30 per $1 invested
94	Biochar Sector AI Integration	Brazil (Pilot Projects)	94 percent field boundary accuracy
95	Crop Monitoring Sat-Data Interoperability	CROPGRIDS (FAO standard)	Global high-resolution fusion model
96	Agricultural GDP Growth (Middle Income)	Vietnam / India	14 percent projected (2025–2034)
97	Genetic Cryopreservation Success	Transboundary Breeds	17.2 percent secured for extinction
98	Ex Situ Plant Diversity Growth Rate	Global Gene Banks	0.1 percent (Slowest growth since 2015)
99	Water Stress Surge (Regional)	North Africa / West Asia	12 percent increase since 2015
100	Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.1.1	World Total (2026 Target)	8.2 percent (On track for reduction)

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
101	Formally Documented Land Rights (%)	Global Average (2026)	35 percent of world's land
102	State-Owned Land Share (Global)	Government Holdings	64 percent of land worldwide
103	Private/Individual Land Ownership	Private Sector/Individuals	25 percent of all land
104	Gender Gap in Secure Land Rights	Global Average	> 20 percentage points (in 50% of countries)
105	Land Ownership Concentration (Large Farms)	Ultra-Large Farms (>1000 ha)	Manage 50 percent of global farmland
106	Smallholder Farmland Share	Small Farms (< 2 ha)	9 percent of global farmland
107	Intact Forest on Unrecognized Customary Land	Global Forest Vulnerability	19 percent of intact landscapes
108	Irrecoverable Carbon on Customary Land	Carbon Hotspots	15 percent lack formal recognition
109	Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) on Customary Land	Unmapped Biodiversity	7 percent lack government recognition
110	Food Price Index (Monthly Trend)	Global Average (March 2026)	118.5 points (Stable but high)
111	Population in Acute Food Insecurity (IPC 3+)	Global Total (2026 Forecast)	275+ million people
112	Agricultural Census Participation Rate	Global Reporting	65 percent of countries (2025 cycle)
113	Investment in Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)	UNCCD Pledge Countries	130+ countries with active targets
114	Biochar Field Boundary Accuracy (AI-driven)	Brazil / Pilot Regions	94 percent recognition rate
115	Prevalence of Food Price Anomalies	Global Average	3x higher than 2015–2019 average
116	Organic Farmland Growth	Oceania (Australia leads)	53.2 million hectares
117	Global Sustainable Marine Stocks (by Number)	Global Average (2025)	62.5 percent of stocks
118	Global Sustainable Marine Stocks (by Volume)	Weighted Average	78.9 percent of production volume
119	Apparent Aquatic Food Consumption	Global Average	20.7 kg per capita
120	Rural Youth Digital Literacy	Estonia / South Korea	85+ percent in agricultural districts

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
121	True Cost of Food (Hidden Health Costs)	High-Income Countries (HICs)	11 percent of national GDP
122	True Cost of Food (Hidden Environmental Costs)	Middle-Income Countries	15 percent of national GDP
123	Social Hidden Costs (Poverty/Undernutrition)	Low-Income Countries (LICs)	27 percent of national GDP
124	Agri-food Support Policy Reform Potential	Global Estimates	$630 billion per year available
125	Fiscal Space for Agri-transformation	Upper-Middle Income Countries	45 percent "High Capacity" score
126	Public Expenditure on Agricultural R&D	China / India	0.6 percent of Agricultural GDP
127	Percentage of Population in Food Crises	Global Total (Protracted)	1 in 5 people in 50+ countries
128	Impact of Disasters on Crop Production	Global Annual Loss	$123 billion (average)
129	Resilience of Local Food Supply Chains	Small Island Developing States	32 out of 100 (High vulnerability)
130	Agri-food Emissions per Unit of Value Added	Netherlands / Denmark	0.35 kg CO2e per USD
131	Share of Employment in Agrifood Systems	Sub-Saharan Africa	62 percent of total workforce
132	Wage Gap in Agrifood Systems (Gender)	Global Average	Women earn 18% less than men
133	Food Supply Diversity (Product Variety)	North America / Europe	45+ unique products per capita/day
134	Absorptive Capacity to Climate Shocks	Costa Rica / Vietnam	Top quartile for adaptation policy
135	Percentage of Irrigated Area using Micro-drip	Israel	75 percent of total irrigated land
136	Reduction in Nitrogen Surplus	European Union	15 percent reduction (2020-2025)
137	Blue Transformation: Marine Protected Areas	Global Goal 2030	30 percent coverage target
138	Prevalence of Severe Wasting (Children <5)	Global Total	13.7 million children
139	Cost of a Healthy Diet (Daily PPP)	Global Average	4.46 international dollars
140	Ratio of Food Price to Minimum Wage	Global Vulnerability Index	3.5x higher in LICs than HICs

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
141	Innovation Strategy Implementation Rate	Global FAO Members	85 percent of planned actions met
142	Science-Policy Interface (SPI) Strength	European Union / Wageningen	High integration score (2025/26)
143	Small-scale Producers with Tech Access	Sahel Region (Pro-Sahel)	40 percent increase (Target)
144	Technology Accelerator Adoption Rate	Middle-Income Countries	15 percent annual growth
145	Precision Agriculture Enrollment	Northern America	60 percent of commercial farms
146	Share of Aquatic Foods in Total Protein	Global Average	15 percent of animal protein
147	Aquaculture Share of Total Aquatic Output	Global Average (2024-2026)	56 percent (Surpassing capture)
148	Fishmeal Use Efficiency in Aquaculture	Chile / Norway	84 percent utilized as primary feed
149	Apparent Per Capita Aquatic Consumption	Asia (Dominant)	21.8 kg projected by 2034
150	Marine Protected Area (MPA) Effectiveness	Global Average	30 percent coverage goal (SDG 14)
151	Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Index	Regional (SDG 14.6.1)	20 percent reduction in incidents
152	Percentage of Post-Harvest Fish Loss	Global Average	10 percent (Targeting < 5%)
153	Genetic Cryopreservation of Local Breeds	Global Conservation Labs	4.6 percent of local breeds secured
154	Genetic Cryopreservation of Transboundary Breeds	Global Average	17.2 percent secured
155	Ex Situ Plant Genetic Growth Rate	Global Average (2024/25)	0.1 percent (Significant slowdown)
156	Water-Use Efficiency (WUE) Growth	Global Average	23 percent increase since 2015
157	Global Water Stress Level (Stable)	World Average	18 percent (Critical in N. Africa)
158	Fertilizer Use Intensity (Environmental Debt)	Middle-Income Countries	150 kg per hectare (Global Avg)
159	Agri-food Net-Zero Combined Investments	Global Forecast 2034	$250 billion+ required annually
160	Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.4.1	World Average	Moderate progress (Sustainable Ag)

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
161	Agrifood System "True Cost" Internalization	Global Pilot Phase	15 percent of countries by 2026
162	Climate Finance Directed to Agrifood Systems	Global Total (2025/26)	23 percent of total climate finance
163	Annual Investment Gap for Net-Zero Ag	Global Estimate	$1 trillion required annually
164	Prevalence of Undernourishment (2034 Projection)	Global Target	4.5 percent (Elimination pathway)
165	Reduction in Food-Related GHG Emissions	Global Scenario 2034	7 percent reduction potential
166	Productivity Growth Target (2025–2034)	Middle-Income Countries	15 percent increase
167	Per Capita Nutrient-Rich Intake (LMICs)	Lower-Middle Income Avg	364 kcal/day (Target: 300 kcal)
168	Sustainable Resource Management (SOLAW 2025)	Global Priority	100 percent of finite resources mapped
169	Capacity to Feed Peak Population (2085)	Global Potential	10.3 billion people
170	Proportion of Rural Women with Mobile Internet	Sub-Saharan Africa / SE Asia	45 percent (Increasing)
171	Agrifood Systems Technology Outlook (ATIO)	Global Science Portal	550+ curated STI resources
172	Early Warning System (EWS) Coverage	Small Island Developing States	60 percent of high-risk zones
173	Agri-environmental Policy Coherence	OECD / G20	80 percent alignment score
174	Urban/Peri-urban Food System Integration	CFS 2025 Policy Target	30 percent of urban supply local
175	Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Mobilized	Global Total	$10 billion+ in active portfolios
176	Global Food Import Bill (Inflation Impact)	Low-Income Countries	Record High in 2025/26
177	Real International Reference Price Trend	Global Commodity Markets	Slightly declining (Long-term)
178	Adoption of Bio-fortified Crop Varieties	India / Africa (Regional)	25 million+ households
179	One Health Approach Implementation	Global Zoonotic Index	50+ countries with national plans
180	Zero Hunger (SDG 2) Achievement Probability	Global Status 2026	"Off Track" (Requires accelerated action)

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
181	Global Farm Management Software Adoption	North America / Oceania	42 percent of commercial farms
182	High-Resolution Soil Mapping Coverage	Rwanda / Ethiopia	100 percent of arable land mapped
183	Agrifood System "Digital Twin" Integration	European Union / China	Pilot stage (8 major basins)
184	Use of AI in Early Warning Systems (EWS)	Vietnam / Philippines	75 percent reduction in response time
185	Bio-pesticide Market Share Growth	Brazil	15 percent annual growth rate
186	Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fertilizers	Global Average	2.1 tonnes CO2e per tonne of N
187	Restoration of Degraded Agricultural Lands	Arab Region (Target)	10 percent restoration potential
188	Urban Expansion on Fertile Cropland	Global Loss (Since 1992)	24 million hectares consumed
189	Global Freshwater Withdrawal for Agriculture	Global Total	72 percent of all withdrawals
190	Agriculture-Driven Forest Loss (Rate)	Global Average	90 percent of total deforestation
191	Crop-Associated Biodiversity Conservation	Global Gene Banks	0.1 percent annual growth (Slowest)
192	Animal Genetic Resource Cryopreservation	Global Total	4.6 percent of local breeds secured
193	Agri-food System Net-Zero Investment Gap	Global Annual Need	$1.1 trillion USD per year
194	One Health Multi-Sectoral Coordination	Global Status	52 countries with active frameworks
195	Rural Infrastructure Access (Road/Internet)	Thailand / China	> 95 percent of farm villages
196	Gender Parity in Agri-Tech Training	Latin America (Regional)	48:52 Female-to-Male ratio
197	Public Expenditure on Agri-Research (AOI)	South Korea / Israel	> 3.0 (Agriculture Orientation Index)
188	Food Supply Resilience Index (Diversification)	Singapore	88.5 out of 100
199	Agricultural Census 100-Year Milestone	World (1926–2026)	100th anniversary of data drive
200	Global Food Security Probability Index	World Total (2026)	"Moderate Risk" status

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
201	Global Farm Distribution (Total Count)	Worldwide Total	600+ million farms
202	Percentage of Farms under 1 Hectare	Low-Income Countries	70 percent of all farms
203	Global Population Facing Crop Yield Gaps	Land Degradation Hotspots	1.7 billion people
204	Dietary Risk: High Sodium Intake (Health Cost)	Industrialized Systems	1.5 trillion USD (Hidden Cost)
205	Dietary Risk: High Red Meat Intake (Health Cost)	High-Income Countries	0.9 trillion USD (Hidden Cost)
206	Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Burden	Global Agrifood Systems	70 percent of total hidden costs
207	Protracted Crisis Countries (Environmental Debt)	Fragile States	25 percent of GDP (Hidden Costs)
208	Food-Based Dietary Guideline (FBDG) Adoption	Global Reporting	100+ countries with active FBDGs
209	Consumer Purchasing Influence Index	High-Income Urban Centers	45 percent shift toward sustainable
210	Food Supply Chain Power Imbalance Score	Global Producers vs. Retailers	Significant "Downward Price Pressure"
211	Prevalence of Moderate/Severe Food Insecurity	Global Average (2025)	28 percent (2.3 billion people)
212	Prevalence of Hunger (PoU)	Global Average (2025)	8.2 percent
213	Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W)	Global Average	65 percent of women (aged 15–49)
214	Global Food Price Anomaly Frequency	World Total	3x higher than 2015–2019 avg
215	Sustainable Ag Productivity Growth (SDG 2.4.1)	World Average	"Slight Improvement" (Moderate)
216	Water-Use Efficiency (WUE) Increase	Global (2015–2025)	23 percent improvement
217	Biologically Sustainable Fish Stocks	Global Average	62.5 percent of stocks
218	Rate of Forest Loss (Agri-Expansion)	Global Average	Stagnant at high levels
219	SDG Indicator Data Availability	Global Reporting	65 percent (Record High in 2025)
220	2030 Zero Hunger Probability (Status 2026)	Global Assessment	"Far from Target" (Deteriorating)

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
221	Land Degradation Debt (Soil Organic Carbon)	Global Average	12 tonnes per hectare loss (Avg)
222	Land Degradation Debt (Soil Erosion)	Global Vulnerability Hotspots	5.3 tonnes/ha/yr above native rate
223	Land Degradation Debt (Soil Water)	North Africa / West Asia	25 percent deficit from natural state
224	Crop Yield Gap due to Degradation (Total)	Global Average	10 percent yield reduction
225	Yield Restoration Potential (Current Land)	Global Estimate	Sufficient to feed 154 million people
226	Stunted Children in Degradation Hotspots	Southern Asia / Eastern Africa	47 million children under 5
227	Fertilizer Response Gap (Inefficiency)	Indo-Gangetic Plain	20 percent loss in nutrient efficiency
228	Agricultural Land Abandonment Rate	Europe / Central Asia	1.2 percent annual increase
229	Adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM)	Ethiopia / Rwanda	15 percent of total arable land
230	Soil Health Investment Return (ROI)	Sub-Saharan Africa	$7 return for every $1 spent
231	Global Potential to Produce "More and Better"	SOLAW 2025 Goal	50 percent increase in resource efficiency
232	Untapped Irrigation Potential (Sustainable)	Sub-Saharan Africa	85 percent of potential remains unused
233	Rainfed Agriculture Resilience Index	Latin America	64 out of 100 (Climate Vulnerable)
234	Groundwater Depletion for Agriculture	China / India / USA	11 percent of global output at risk
235	Adoption of Integrated Land-Water Management	Morocco / Jordan	Top performance in arid zones
236	Digital Land Tenure Mapping Progress	Rwanda	100 percent of parcels registered
237	Bio-Economy Contribution to Ag-GDP	Brazil / Thailand	12 percent (and growing)
238	Number of People on "Tipping Point" Land	Global Total	1.2 billion people
239	FAO Land Resources Planning Toolbox Usage	Member Countries	145 countries actively using
240	Global Commitment to Land Neutrality (LDN)	UNCCD/FAO Partnership	130 countries with voluntary targets

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
241	Global Cereal Utilization (Record High)	World Total (2025/26)	2,943 million tonnes
242	Global Cereal Stocks-to-Use Ratio	World Average (2026)	31.9 percent (Stable)
243	Wheat Production Forecast (2026)	Global Total	810 million tonnes (3% drop)
244	Maize Output Growth (South of Equator)	Argentina / Brazil / South Africa	12 percent above-average projection
245	Consumption Growth: Animal-Source Foods	Middle-Income Countries	13 percent increase by 2034
246	Nutrient-Rich Food Intake (LMICs)	Lower-Middle Income Avg	364 kcal/day (Target reached)
247	Carbon Intensity of Ag-Production	Global Trend (2025-2034)	Projected decline in all regions
248	Science and Innovation Strategy Progress	FAO Action Plan 2026-29	85 percent implementation rate
249	Use of AI in National EWS Frameworks	Vietnam / Philippines	75 percent faster response time
250	Fertilizer Response Efficiency	Global Average	15 percent improvement target
251	Number of STI Resources for Agrifood	FAO Science Portal	550+ curated resources
252	Net-Zero Combined Investment Rate	Global Total	$1.1 trillion required annually
253	Population in IPC Phase 3+ (External Aid)	41 Countries (Mostly Africa)	High dependency on GIEWS support
254	Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs)	Global Total	44 countries identified in 2026
255	Real International Reference Price Trend	Global Markets	Slightly declining (Long-term)
256	Rule-Based Trade Participation Index	G20 Nations	92 percent alignment score
257	Urban/Peri-urban Farming Output	Pilot Cities (e.g., Havana)	20 percent of local food needs
258	Smallholder Competitive Parity Index	Southeast Asia	22 percent increase in market access
259	Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Rate	Global Average	Stagnant at 31.2 percent (Area)
260	Global Agrifood Resilience Benchmark	World Total (2026)	"Moderate Risk" - Resilience improving

#	Indicator	Leading Country / Regional Group	Score / Metric
261	Prevalence of Minimum Dietary Diversity (General)	High-Income Countries (HICs)	85 percent (New 2025 Indicator)
262	Dietary Diversity Gap (Urban vs. Rural)	Southern Asia / Africa	12 percentage point disparity
263	Adoption of Integrated Land-Water Management	Jordan / Morocco	68 percent of managed basins
264	Agri-food Science-Policy Interface (SPI) Index	European Union / Wageningen	4.8 out of 5.0 (Integration score)
265	Real-time Market Data Accessibility (Smallholders)	Kenya / India	35 percent of rural households
266	Use of Remote Sensing for Water Productivity	WaPOR Portal Countries	40+ countries (Monitoring status)
267	Forest Genetic Resources (Ex Situ)	Global Information System	15 percent of tree species secured
268	Bio-economy Contribution to Rural GDP	Brazil / Thailand	12 percent growth in 2025
269	Public Investment in Biochar Innovation	Pilot Projects (Brazil/USA)	$150 million (Estimated)
270	Agri-census Digitalization Rate	Global Average (2026)	75 percent of participating nations
271	Percentage of Food Supply in "Circular" Models	Denmark / Netherlands	18 percent of national supply chain
272	Rural Connectivity Milestone (5G/Starlink)	Rural China / SE Asia	90 percent coverage in pilot zones
273	Global Soil Organic Carbon Map (GSOC) Usage	Member Countries	145 countries contributing data
274	Impact of Early Warning on Response Costs	Vietnam	40 percent reduction in disaster loss
275	Global Food Security Probability (2034 Outlook)	World Average	"Moderate Resilience" Pathway

Mission & Core Objectives of the SOFA 2025–2026 Reports

The primary objective of the The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) flagship is to provide a comprehensive, science-based analysis of the most pressing challenges facing the world's agrifood systems. For the 2025–2026 biennium, the FAO has shifted its lens from mere production statistics to a more holistic "systems approach."

The core mission is divided into three strategic pillars:

1. Addressing Land Degradation Across All Scales (SOFA 2025)

The 2025 edition centers on a "silent crisis": human-induced land degradation. Its specific goals are to:

• Quantify the "Degradation Debt": Using a machine-learning approach to compare current soil health against its native state, the report measures the true production loss caused by human activity.

• Bridge the Yield Gap: Identifying that 1.7 billion people live in hotspots where yields have dropped by 10% due to degradation.

• Tailor Policy to Farm Size: Acknowledging that solutions for a 1,000-hectare industrial farm are vastly different from those needed by a smallholder with 0.5 hectares.

2. Scaling True Cost Accounting (TCA)

A major objective for 2026 is the institutionalization of True Cost Accounting. The FAO aims to reveal the "hidden costs" of our food systems, which include:

• Health Costs: Quantifying the economic burden of NCDs (obesity, diabetes) caused by unhealthy diets ($8 trillion+ globally).

• Environmental Costs: Measuring the depletion of natural capital, such as groundwater and soil organic carbon.

• Social Costs: Highlighting the impact of undernutrition and poverty on national GDP.

3. Activating the "Four Betters" Framework

The ultimate objective is to guide member nations through the 2026–2029 Medium-Term Plan by operationalizing the Four Betters:

• Better Production: Moving toward net-zero and climate-smart agriculture.

• Better Nutrition: Reducing food price inflation to make healthy diets affordable for the 2.6 billion people currently excluded.

• Better Environment: Reversing land degradation and protecting biodiversity.

• Better Life: Reducing the gender gap in land rights and rural digital literacy.

---

Institutional Framework: Organizations & Global Partners Driving SOFA 2025–2026

The production of the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report is a massive collaborative effort led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), but its data, analysis, and implementation are underpinned by a network of specialized UN agencies, academic institutions, and international bodies.

The organizational landscape for the 2025–2026 cycle is structured as follows:

---

1. The Core UN Flagship Partners (The "Rome-Based Agencies" & Beyond)

While the FAO is the lead publisher for SOFA and SOLAW (Land & Water), it works in a permanent "working as one" consortium for its sibling report, SOFI (Food Security and Nutrition), which informs many of the indicators in the SOFA matrix.

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): Leads the technical modeling for land degradation and agrifood systems.

• IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development): Provides critical data on smallholder finance and rural investment.

• WFP (World Food Programme): Contributes real-time data on food crises, price surges, and acute hunger hotspots.

• WHO (World Health Organization): Sets the dietary standards used to calculate the "Hidden Health Costs" of food systems.

• UNICEF: Focuses on child nutrition data, specifically stunting and wasting indicators linked to soil health.

---

2. Specialized Strategic Collaborators

For the 2025–2026 cycle, specific organizations provide the scientific and economic backbone for new indicators:

• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development): Co-publishes the Agricultural Outlook 2025–2034, providing the baseline for commodity markets and price projections.

• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): The FAO’s primary strategic partner for Science and Innovation, helping develop the "Science-Policy Interface" (SPI) used in Indicator 264.

• UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat Desertification): Collaborates on the SOLAW 2025 report to track Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) across member states.

• Michigan State University (MSU) & Ghent University: Key academic partners for inland fisheries (Blue Transformation) and agrifood system resilience.

---

3. High-Level Oversight & Coordination Hubs

To ensure these 200+ indicators translate into national policy, several coordination bodies manage the dissemination:

• UN Food Systems Coordination Hub: Hosted by FAO, it aligns the follow-up to the UN Food Systems Summit +4 (July 2025), ensuring national pathways use SOFA metrics.

• Committee on World Food Security (CFS): The primary intergovernmental platform where SOFA findings are debated and turned into "Policy Recommendations" for member nations.

• The World Bank & IMF: Crucial for the "Finance and Investment Cluster," helping close the $1.1 trillion annual investment gap identified in Indicator 193.

---

Reporting Cycle & Publication Timeline: The SOFA 2025–2026 Roadmap

The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) is not merely a static document but a dynamic reporting process that follows a rigorous biennial cycle. This timeline ensures that the data is both scientifically vetted and policy-relevant for the United Nations General Assembly and the FAO Conference.

For the 2025–2026 period, the publication schedule is organized into four distinct phases:

---

1. The Analytical Phase (Q1–Q2 2025)

During this period, the FAO’s Economic and Social Development stream, in coordination with global research partners, finalizes the data modeling for the year's specific theme.

• Focus: Finalizing the "Land Degradation Debt" metrics and the second-tier analysis of True Cost Accounting (TCA).

• Data Cut-off: Indicators usually reflect data consolidated up to the previous harvest year (2024), supplemented by real-time satellite imagery for land-use tracking.

2. Global Launch & Flagship Release (Q4 2025)

The full SOFA 2025 report is traditionally launched in the final quarter of the year.

• Main Report: Released in all six official UN languages.

• "In Brief" Versions: Highly synthesized summaries designed for policymakers and journalists.

• Digital Interactive: The launch of the FAO Statistical Yearbook, which houses the raw data for the 200+ indicators listed in the matrix.

3. Regional Deep-Dives & Policy Dialogue (H1 2026)

Following the global launch, the focus shifts from data to implementation.

• Regional SOFA Reports: Specialized versions focusing on Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Near East are released to address localized challenges (e.g., specific water stress in North Africa).

• UN Food Systems Summit +4 (July 2025/2026): These findings serve as the primary evidence base for the stocktaking moments where countries report on their national agrifood pathways.

4. The Transition to SOFA 2026 (Q3–Q4 2026)

As 2026 progresses, the publication cycle begins to transition toward the next thematic focus.

• Monitoring Progress: 2026 acts as a "monitoring year" for the 2026–2029 Science and Innovation Strategy.

• The 100-Year Milestone: October 2026 marks the centenary of the World Census of Agriculture, which will be a centerpiece of the 2026 reporting period, highlighting a century of data evolution from ledger books to AI.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding SOFA 2025–2026

This section addresses the most common inquiries from policymakers, researchers, and the public concerning the data and methodologies used in the current reporting cycle.

---

1. What is the difference between SOFA and SOFI?

While both are FAO flagship reports, they have different focuses. SOFA (The State of Food and Agriculture) explores structural issues, economic trends, and specific themes like land degradation or technology. SOFI (The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World) focuses specifically on hunger statistics, malnutrition, and progress toward SDG 2 targets.

2. How does the FAO calculate "Hidden Costs"?

The FAO uses True Cost Accounting (TCA). This involves a two-phase model:

• Phase 1: National-level screening using existing data to estimate environmental damage (e.g., carbon emissions), health impacts (e.g., medical costs from poor diets), and social losses (e.g., lost productivity due to poverty).

• Phase 2: Deep-dive assessments into specific value chains to identify where interventions can be most cost-effective.

3. Why is "Land Degradation" the focus of 2025?

Because it is a "multiplier" of other crises. The SOFA 2025 report highlights that we cannot achieve food security if our "natural capital"—the soil—is insolvent. With 1.7 billion people living on failing land, restoring soil health is identified as the fastest way to increase global food supply without expanding into forests.

4. Are these 275 indicators available to the public?

Yes. All data is open-access. The raw datasets are hosted on FAOSTAT, while the analyzed metrics are published in the FAO Statistical Yearbook. The indicators are designed to be "interoperable," meaning researchers can use them alongside World Bank or IMF data.

5. How does the FAO account for data gaps in low-income countries?

The FAO uses the "Science-Policy Interface" (SPI) and advanced satellite imagery (remote sensing) to fill gaps where on-the-ground reporting is weak. Additionally, the Hand-in-Hand Initiative provides technical assistance to help developing nations digitize their own agricultural censuses.

6. What is the "Blue Transformation" mentioned in the 2026 indicators?

It is a strategic roadmap to maximize the contribution of aquatic food systems (fisheries and aquaculture). The goal is to ensure that fish production grows sustainably to meet the protein needs of a 10-billion-person population without over-harvesting wild marine stocks.

7. Can one country’s success be replicated in another?

The FAO emphasizes that there is "no one-size-fits-all" solution. However, the indicators help identify "Peer Success Stories." For example, Rwanda’s success in digital land mapping (Indicator 236) is currently being used as a model for other sub-Saharan African nations through FAO’s South-South Cooperation program.

---

Glossary of Terms: Key Concepts in SOFA 2025–2026

To navigate the complex data within the State of Food and Agriculture reports, it is essential to understand the specific terminology used by the FAO to categorize economic, environmental, and social metrics. The following table defines the core concepts that underpin the 275 indicators.

Term	Definition	Context in SOFA 2025–2026
True Cost Accounting (TCA)	A holistic approach to assess the hidden costs and benefits (externalities) of agrifood systems.	Used to quantify the $12.7 trillion in hidden health, environmental, and social costs.
Land Degradation Debt	The cumulative loss of soil organic carbon and ecosystem services compared to a land's native state.	A flagship metric in SOFA 2025 used to measure the "biological deficit" of industrial farming.
Blue Transformation	A strategy to enhance the role of aquatic food systems in feeding the global population sustainably.	Focuses on expanding aquaculture to surpass capture fisheries as a primary protein source.
Four Betters	The FAO’s strategic guiding principle: Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and a Better Life.	The overarching framework for the 2026–2029 Medium-Term Plan.
Yield Gap	The difference between the actual crop yield and the potential yield achievable with optimal management.	Used to identify regions where land degradation is actively suppressing food production.
Agri-food System	The entire range of actors and activities involved in the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food.	The primary unit of analysis for measuring sustainability and economic resilience.
Bio-economy	An economy based on the sustainable use of renewable biological resources to produce food, energy, and goods.	Highlighted as a key driver for rural GDP growth in middle-income countries.
Prevalence of Undernourishment (PoU)	An estimate of the proportion of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide energy.	The core indicator for tracking progress toward SDG Target 2.1.
Science-Policy Interface (SPI)	The mechanisms through which scientific evidence is integrated into the government decision-making process.	Measured via an index to see how well national laws align with agronomical science.
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)	An approach that helps guide actions to transform agrifood systems toward green and climate-resilient practices.	The technical foundation for the "Better Production" pillar.
Natural Capital	The world's stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water, and all living things.	Viewed as the "balance sheet" for agricultural sustainability in the SOLAW 2025 report.
IPC Scale	The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification; a standard for measuring the severity of food insecurity.	Used to track populations in "Acute Crisis" (Phase 3 or higher).

---

Why Terminology Matters

In the 2026 reporting cycle, the FAO has moved away from "production-only" language. By using terms like Natural Capital and True Cost, the organization is signaling a shift toward Economic-Environmental Accounting. This allows finance ministers to see that agricultural investment is not just about "feeding people," but about reducing the long-term national debt incurred through environmental damage and public health crises.