The 2007-2008 food price crisis revealed numerous symptoms in agricultural data in the development contexts. Poor quality and insufficient data, along with a lack of linkages between aggregate data and non-farm diversification, poverty, and health were some of the examples. As a result, it was difficult to address the crisis without good data and evidence.
Further, the lack of consistent investment in high-quality data, institutional and sectoral isolation, and methodological weakness in agricultural statistics hindered effective policy responses to the crisis.
The Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) project was initially established in 2009 to weather these challenges. Since then, the project collaborates with eight partner countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in designing and implementing multi-topic, nationally representative panel household surveys with a strong focus on agriculture.
“The Living Standards Measurement Study - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) is a unique system of longitudinal surveys designed to improve the understanding of household and individual welfare, livelihoods and smallholder agriculture in Africa.”
The LSMS-ISA project conducted more than 160,000 household interviews since its inception. The project collects data on a range of topics, including household demographics, income, consumption, education, health, and employment. This data can be used to inform policy decisions and research on poverty reduction, economic development, and social welfare.
A new chapter in household survey methodology
Through rigorous methodological studies, the LSMS program works on improving the way we measure key constructs and looks at how to increase the added value of household surveys for data validation and improving other data sources, with advancements in survey methods, including use of new technologies and development of analytical tools.
The project’s eight partner countries are: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. In each country, the program works closely with national statistical agencies to ensure that the data collected is of the highest quality and can be used for a variety of purposes. The program also provides training and technical assistance to researchers and policymakers who are interested in using the data for their work.
LSMS-ISA data: A valuable resource for researchers and policymakers
From governments to researchers, a wide range of data users utilize the LSMS data for their research and analysis. Many found the data to be invaluable in their work. The data provides insights into the living conditions and economic activities of households and individuals, allowing researchers to better understand the challenges faced by these groups and identify potential solutions. With LSMS data, researchers can study poverty dynamics, health outcomes, agricultural productivity, and much more.
The number of publications that use the LSMS-ISA data has surpassed 6400, a testament to the quality of our data and its usefulness in various fields. Poverty, health, and agriculture are consistently among the top three sectors across most LSMS partner countries.
