The concept of food security (FS) is holistic and brings together the notions of the availability of sufficient amounts of food, access to food, food utilization (including nutrition aspects), and stability in the food supply.

On the path of transformation from collective to market-based economies, the countries of the South Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – face common challenges in ensuring their food security. However, the lack of quality in all three countries hinders a thorough assessment of the state of food security and the development of related policies.

The goal of this research is to assess the FS data collection mechanisms in the South Caucasus and identify the main gaps and challenges in measuring FS in those countries. The study also looks at the information flow between FS stakeholders and examines coordination between them. The analysis of data collection mechanisms and systems helps assess the extent to which the three countries are in line with international standards in terms of monitoring and reporting FS.

The main research methods used in this study were key informant interviews with various stakeholders, including the FAO, the national statistical services, government ministries, NGOs, research centers and private companies, and a literature review of different studies and reports on FS. The set of indicators for detailed analysis was selected based on several criteria and the major gaps in measuring those indicators were identified.
Based on the analysis of existing data collection mechanisms, we developed a set of recommendations for each country with regard to the data collection and measurement methodology, coordination and collaboration between stakeholders, and their capacity and role in the FS network

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