FAO assumes joint custodianship of indicator seen as key to ending malnutrition
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has assumed joint custodianship with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of a new Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator regarding Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD). This indicator captures a crucial aspect previously lacking in tracking progress toward ending malnutrition and achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and the broader 2030 Agenda.
The United Nations Statistical Commission formally adopted the new indicator at its 56th session in New York.
The inclusion of the MDD as a new SDG indicator is one of a handful of substantial changes approved by the Commission as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Review of the SDG indicator framework – the second and last Comprehensive Review within the 2030 Agenda’s time horizon.
It marks the final chapter in a long process that began over one year ago by a coalition of countries and international organizations led by Switzerland and spearheaded by FAO and UNICEF, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Diversity – or the variety of foods we consume – is one of the pillars of a healthy diet. The quality of a diet is essential to prevent all forms of malnutrition and support health, growth, development, and well-being. The new MDD indicator has been methodologically validated and will be measured for two population groups: children and women of reproductive age, designated “MDD-C” and “MDD-W,” respectively. UNICEF will assume the role of custodian agency for MDD-C and FAO for MDD-W. MDD-W, developed by FAO and its partners, is a simple yes/no indicator of whether women aged 15 to 49 have consumed at least five out of 10 defined food groups in the previous 24 hours.
The 10 food groups are defined as: grains, white roots and tubers, and plantains; pulses (beans, peas and lentils); nuts and seeds; milk and milk products; meat, poultry and fish; eggs; dark green leafy vegetables; other vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables; other vegetables; and other fruits.
The higher the proportion of women in the sample who reach this threshold, the higher the chance that women in the population consume diets that have sufficient vitamins and minerals. A similar process of development was led by UNICEF for MDD-C.