Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 2 Zero Hunger 2024

Data Sources and Additional Information

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are a set of global development targets adopted by the United Nations (UN) member countries in September 2015 to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The UN SDGs are driving the global development agenda towards Agenda 2030.

The Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020 was in direct response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and provides a whole-of-government approach to implement the 17 SDGs. Ireland’s Second National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024 reviews the progress made towards each of the 17 Goals - whether in Ireland or at an international level - showcasing case studies that can help guide us towards best practice. It focuses on the need to fully integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into our thinking and our action across the full spectrum of policy-making and delivery – how to capture the good work already underway, and how to inform and educate ourselves as to what more can be done. 

This publication for 'Goal 2 Zero Hunger 2024' has 14 SDG indicators which are divided into three main chapters: Hunger, Agriculture and Economic.

Hunger

SDG 2.1.1 Prevalence of undernourishment published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. 

SDG 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) is reported by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Additional information is provided in the CSO Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) Enforced Deprivation. 

SDG 2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age - this data is not regularly produced at a national level. Data from the National Pre-School Nutrition Survey (NPNS), Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance (IUNA) in 2012 is published in the previous SDG Goal 2 report, in SDG 2.2.2 section.

SDG 2.2.2 Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight).

SDG 2.2.3 Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status is published by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Agriculture

SDG 2.3.1 Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size indicative information is presented from the CSO, Census of Agriculture and Eurostat.

SDG 2.3.2 Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status indicative information is presented from Teagasc National Farm Survey and the CSO, Census of Agriculture.

SDG 2.4.1 Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture indicative information is from the CSO, Census of Agriculture and Teagasc National Farm Survey.

The Teagasc National Farm Survey Sustainability Report 2022 gives a description of the sustainability indicators as follows:

Overview of Economic Indicators
Indicator	Measure	Unit
Market based gross output	Gross output per hectare	€/hectare
Market based gross margin	Market based gross margin per hectare	€/hectare
Productivity of labour	Family farm income per unpaid labour unit	€/unpaid labour unit
Economic viability	Economic viability of farm business	1=viable, 0=not viable
Market Orientation	Output derived from market rather than subsidies	%
Family farm income	Family farm income per hectare	€/hectare

Overview of Environmental Indicators
Indicator	Measure	Unit
Ag.GHG emissions per farm	Absolute Ag. based GHG emissions per farm	Tonnes CO2 equivalent/farm
Ag.GHG emissions per hectare	Absolute Ag. based GHG emissions per hectare	Tonnes CO2 equivalent/hectare
Ag.GHG emissions per kg of output	Ag. based GHG emissions efficiency	kg CO2 equivalent/kg output and kg CO2 equivalent/€ output
Energy GHG emissions per farm	Absolute energy GHG emissions per farm	Tonnes CO2 equivalent/farm
Energy GHG emissions per hectare	Absolute energy GHG emissions per hectare	Tonnes CO2 equivalent/hectare
Energy GHG emissions per  kg of output	Energy GHG emissions efficiency	kg CO2 equivalent/kg output and kg CO2 equivalent/€ output
NH3 emissions per farm	Absolute NH3 emissions per farm	Tonnes NH3 equivalent/farm
NH3 emissions per hectare	Absolute NH3 emissions per hectare	Tonnes NH3 equivalent/hectare
NH3 emissions per kg of output	NH3 emissions efficiency	kg NH3 equivalent/kg output and kg NH3 equivalent/€ output
N balance	N transfer risk	kg N surplus/ha
N use efficiency	N retention efficiency	% N outputs/N inputs
P balance	P transfer risk	kg P surplus/ha
P use efficiency	P retention efficiency	% P outputs/P inputs

Overview of Social Indicators
Indicator	Measure	Unit
Household vulnerability	Farm business is not viable and no off farm employment in the household	Binary variable: 1=vulnerable
Agricultural education	Formal agricultural training received by the farmer	Binary variable: 1=agricultural training received
Isolation risk	Farmers live alone	Binary variable: 1=isolated
High age profile	Farmer is not over 60 years old, and no members of household under 45	Binary variable: 1=high age
Hours worked on farm	Farm work load of farmer	Hours worked
Total hours worked	Total farm and off farm work load of the farmer	Hours worked

SDG 2.5.1 Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium or long term conservation facilities is reported in the UN SDG database.

SDG 2.5.2 Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction is reported in the UN SDG database.

Economic

SDG 2.a.1 The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures is published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

SDG 2.a.2 Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector information is provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

SDG 2.b.1 Agricultural export subsidies aim to correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round. 

SDG 2.c.1 Indicator of food price anomalies is provided by the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI). The CSO Consumer Price Index measure for food and non-alcoholic beverages provides additional information for Ireland.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) publish the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI), which is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities. It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices weighted by the average export shares of each of the groups over 2014-2016.

See the following table for further details on the FAO Food Price Index:

FAO Food Price Index Notes
1. Food Price Index	Consists of the average of five commodity group price indices mentioned above, weighted with the average export share of each of the groups for 2014-2016. In total 95 price quotations considered by FAO commodity specialists as representing the international prices of the food commodities are included in the overall index. Each sub-index is a weighted average of the price relatives of the commodities included in the group, with the base period price consisting of the averages for the years 2014-2016.
2. Meat Price Index	Based on 35 average export unit values/market prices of four meat types (bovine, pig, poultry and ovine) from 10 representative markets, while the meat types are weighted by their average global export trade shares for 2014-2016. Quotations for the two most recent months may consist of estimates and be subject to revision.
3. Dairy Price Index	Computed using 8 price quotations of four dairy products (butter, cheese, SMP and WMP) from two representative markets. With each dairy product, prices are weighted by the trade shares of their respective markets, while the dairy products are weighted by their average export shares for 2014-2016.
4. Cereals Price Index	Compiled using the International Grains Council (IGC) wheat price index (an average of 10 different wheat price quotations), the IGC maize price index (an average of 4 different maize price quotations),the IGC barley price index (an average of 5 different barley price quotations), 1 sorghum export quotation and the FAO All Rice Price Index. The FAO All Rice Price Index is based on 21 rice export quotations, combined into four groups consisting of Aromatic, Japonica and glutinous rice varieties. Within each varietal group, a simple average of the relative prices of appropriate quotations is calculated; then the average relative prices of each of the four rice varieties are combined by weighting them with their (fixed) trade shares for 2014-2016. The Cereal Price Index combines the relative price of sorghum, the IGC wheat, maize and barley price indices (re-based to 2014-2016) and the FAO All Rice Price Index by weighting each commodity with its average export trade share for 2014-2016.
5. Vegetable Oils Price Index	Consists of an average of ten different oils weighted with average export trade shares of each oil product for 2014-2016.
6. Sugar Price Index	Index form of the International Sugar Agreement prices with 2014-2016 as base.

Ireland's Population Distribution

The population in each county in Ireland from the results of the 2022 Census of Population are as follows:

NUTS Regions

	Northern & Western NUTS2 Region		Southern NUTS2 Region		Eastern & Midland NUTS2 Region
NUTS3 Regions	Border	Cavan Donegal Leitrim Monaghan Sligo	Mid-West	Clare Limerick Tipperary	Dublin	Dublin City Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal South Dublin
			South-East	Carlow Kilkenny Waterford Wexford	Mid-East	Kildare Louth Meath Wicklow
	West	Galway Mayo Roscommon	South-West	Cork Kerry	Midland	Laois Longford Offaly Westmeath

Acronyms

DAFM	Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
DCEDIY	Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth
DEFENCE	Department of Defence
DE	Department of Education
DETE	Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
DECC	Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
DFIN	Department of Finance
DFAT	Department of Foreign Affairs
DFHERIS	Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
DoH	Department of Health
DHLGH	Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
DoJ	Department of Justice
DPENDR	Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
OPW	Office of Public Works
REVENUE	Department of Revenue Commissioners
DRCD	Department of Rural and Community Development
DSP	Department of Social Protection
DoT	Department of the Taoiseach
DTCAGSM	Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
DT	Department of Transport

Tier Classification for Global UN SDG Indicators

All indicators data are classified by the IAEG-SDGs into three tiers based on their level of methodological development and the availability of data at the global level.

Tier Classification Criteria/Definitions:
Tier 1: Indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, and data are regularly produced by countries for at least 50 per cent of countries and of the population in every region where the indicator is relevant.
Tier 2: Indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, but data are not regularly produced by countries.
Tier 3: No internationally established methodology or standards are yet available for the indicator, but methodology/standards are being (or will be) developed or tested. (As of the 51st session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the global indicator framework does not contain any Tier III indicators).