FSCI Indicators Breakdown
The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a collaborative interdisciplinary effort to monitor global food systems. The FSCI developed a framework that includes five themes: (1) diets, nutrition, and health; (2) environment, natural resources, and production; (3) livelihoods, poverty, and equity; (4) governance; and (5) resilience and identified 50 indicators across these themes. This page presents national level data for these 50 indicators for Jamaica.
Jamaica income group: Upper Middle Income
Comparison
Jamaica
Caribbean
World
Diets, Nutrition, and Health
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Jamaica
5.82
Caribbean
4.53
World
3.32
PPP dollar/capita/day
Cost of a healthy diet per capita
5.82 PPP dollar/capita/day
Per-person cost of the least expensive locally available foods to meet daily needs, based on food-based dietary guidelines
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
23%
Caribbean
50%
World
37%
Percent of the population who cannot afford a healthy diet
23%
Share of the population whose food budget is less than the cost of a healthy diet
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
358.3
Caribbean
525.4
World
256.7
g/capita/day
Availability of fruits
358.3 g/capita/day
Amount of fruits—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
347
Caribbean
229.9
World
278.9
g/capita/day
Availability of vegetables
347 g/capita/day
Amount of vegetables—an underconsumed yet highly nutritious food group—available in a country’s food supply per capita per day
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Caribbean
35%
World
68%
Percent of the population using safely managed drinking water services
No Data
Share of the population that gets drinking water from an improved source, providing the clean water essential for food security (SDG 6.1.1)
Jamaica
2.4
Caribbean
24.1
World
155.1
current PPP dollar/capita/year
Retail value (total sales) of ultra-processed foods per capita
2.4 current PPP dollar/capita/year
Annual perperson sales of ultra-processed foods, which are known to be associated with poor health outcomes
2021
Caribbean
NaN%
World
66%
MDD-W: Minimum dietary diversity for women
No Data
Share of women who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
Caribbean
NaN%
World
39%
All-5: Consumption of all five food groups
No Data
Share of the adult population consuming all five food groups typically recommended for daily consumption
Caribbean
NaN
World
3.8
NCD-Protect
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices protective against noncommunicable diseases, like eating enough fiber, on a scale from 0 to 9
Caribbean
NaN
World
2.1
NCD-Risk
No Data
Average score for adults on an indicator of dietary practices known to raise the risk of noncommunicable diseases, like eating too much sugar, on a scale from 0 to 9
Caribbean
NaN%
World
11%
Adults: Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
No Data
Share of adults who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
Caribbean
NaN%
World
19%
Adults: Soft drink consumption
No Data
Share of adults who consumed a sugar-sweetened soft drink, which are generally known to be unhealthy, during the previous day
Jamaica
8%
Caribbean
23%
World
11%
POU: Prevalence of undernourishment
8%
Share of the population that goes hungry—that is, lacks enough calories for a healthy, active life (SDG 2.1.1)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
55%
Caribbean
65%
World
29%
Percent of the population experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity
55%
Share of the population experiencing food insecurity, measured according to the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) (SDG 2.1.2)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Caribbean
43%
World
32%
MDD (IYCF): Minimum dietary diversity for infants and young children
No Data
Share of young children who consumed at least the minimum recommended food groups the previous day, which makes it more likely they consume adequate micronutrients
Source: UNICEF
Caribbean
37
World
39
% population 6-23 months
Children (6-23 months): Zero fruit or vegetable consumption
No Data
Share of young children who did not consume any fruits or vegetables the previous day
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Environment, natural resources, and production
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Jamaica
0.1
Caribbean
0.3
World
0.4
tonnes/ha
Cereals yield
0.1 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
1.3
Caribbean
1.4
World
1.4
tonnes/ha
Fruit yield
1.3 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
1.6
Caribbean
1.2
World
2
tonnes/ha
Vegetable yield
1.6 tonnes/ha
Yield, or production per unit area (tonnes per hectare)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
21,961
Caribbean
11,517
World
22,628.8
100 g/animal
Cow's milk yield
21,961 100 g/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
220.8
Caribbean
150.7
World
221
kg/animal
Beef yield
220.8 kg/animal
Yield, or production per animal (100 g per animal)—an indicator of how efficient production is
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Caribbean
8.5
World
21.2
Fishery health index progress score
No Data
An indicator summarizing the availability and sustainability of fish, which are at risk of overfishing or environmental degradation
Source: Minderoo Foundation
Jamaica
4,486
Caribbean
6,366.1
World
83,692.6
kT CO2eq
Agri-food systems greenhouse gas emissions
4,486 kT CO2eq
Jamaica
0.4
Caribbean
0.2
World
0.2
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cereals (excluding rice)
0.4 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cereals (excluding rice)
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
6,672.2
Caribbean
1.8
World
1.1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for rice
6,672.2 kg CO2eq/kg product
Jamaica
1.4
Caribbean
2.1
World
1
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for cow's milk
1.4 kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2 equivalents) per kilogram produced of cow's milk
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
46.4
Caribbean
80.7
World
28.3
kg CO2eq/kg product
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity for beef
46.4 kg CO2eq/kg product
Jamaica
0
Caribbean
-1
World
0
% change
Cropland area change
0% change
Average percentage change in cropland over the previous five years; expanding cropland is a major driver of biodiversity and ecosystem service loss and greenhouse gas emissions
2021
Source: FSCI
Jamaica
70
Caribbean
60
World
43
% agricultural land
Functional integrity: Agricultural land with minimum level of natural habitat
70% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land area with enough semi-natural or natural habitat, relative to the amount of cropland or rangeland, to maintain biodiversity and functioning ecosystems
2015
Source: DeClerck et al. 2021
Jamaica
1%
Caribbean
15%
World
17%
Agriculture water withdrawal as percent of total renewable water resources
1%
Water withdrawn for irrigation each year, as a percentage of the total renewable water resources available
2020
Source: AQUASTAT
Jamaica
8.7
Caribbean
1.5
World
2.3
kg/ha
Pesticide use per area of cropland
8.7 kg/ha
The use of pesticides per area of cropland (kg active ingredient per hectare); pesticide use can cause pollution and harm health
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Livelihoods, Poverty, and Equity
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Jamaica
8
Caribbean
5
World
4
% GDP
Share of agriculture in GDP
8% GDP
Percentage of a country’s GDP derived from agriculture, a measure of the level of economic development of the country
2022
Source: FAOSTAT
Jamaica
5
Caribbean
6
World
4
% working age population
Unemployment rate (Rural)
5% working age population
Caribbean
9
World
6
% working age population
Underemployment rate (Rural)
No Data
Percentage of working-age people in rural areas who are underemployed (i.e., worked fewer hours than expected)
Source: ILO
Jamaica
53
Caribbean
37
World
58
% population
Social protection coverage
53% population
Percentage of people who live in households that benefit from social protection programs, like cash transfers and health insurance
2017
Source: World Bank
Jamaica
28
Caribbean
25
World
23
% welfare of beneficiary households
Social protection adequacy
28% welfare of beneficiary households
An indicator showing the extent to which social protection is sufficient to meet household needs
2017
Source: World Bank
Jamaica
3
Caribbean
3
World
8
% children 5-17
Percent of children 5-17 years engaged in child labor
3% children 5-17
Percentage of children ages 5–17 who are engaged in child labor, the majority of which is known to be in the food system and specifically in agriculture
2016
Source: UNICEF
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Governance
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Jamaica
0.9
Caribbean
0.5
World
0.6
Civil society participation index
0.9
An indicator capturing the level of participation in civil society organizations
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Jamaica
0%
Caribbean
0%
World
8%
Percent of the urban population living in cities signed onto the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact
0%
Percentage of the urban population that lives in cities signed on to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, suggesting prioritization of food issues in urban planning
2020
Caribbean
NaN
World
NaN
Degree of legal recognition of the right to food
No Data
Caribbean
NaN
World
NaN
Presence of a national food system transformation pathway
No Data
Jamaica
0.6
Caribbean
-0.7
World
0
Government effectiveness index
0.6
An index capturing the perception of how effective the government is in making and enforcing policies and providing services
2022
Source: World Governance Indicators
Jamaica
80
Caribbean
66.9
World
69.5
Food safety capacity
80
Whether functioning mechanisms exist to detect and respond to foodborne disease issues, measured as the percentage of a set of criteria met
2020
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory
Caribbean
NaN
World
NaN
Presence of national health-related food environment policies
No Data
Whether the country has any health-related food taxes, which are used to discourage consumption of unhealthy foods
Jamaica
1.5
Caribbean
0.3
World
0.2
V-Dem accountability index
1.5
An index capturing the extent to which the government is seen as being accountable for its actions
2022
Source: Varieties of Democracy
Jamaica
50
Caribbean
67.8
World
43
Open budget index score
50
A score based on how easily the public can access information about how the government raises and spends money
2021
Source: International Budget Partnership
Caribbean
NaN
World
NaN
Guarantees for public access to information
No Data
Whether the country has and implements guarantees for access to information (SDG 16.10.2)
Source: Sustainable Development Goals
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Resilience
Less Desirable
More Desirable
Caribbean
NaN
World
NaN
Ratio of total damages from all disasters to GDP
No Data
Cost of all damage from natural disasters, as a percentage of GDP
Source: EM-DAT
Jamaica
0.8
Caribbean
0.8
World
0.7
Dietary sourcing flexibility index
0.8
An index capturing the diversity of pathways through which food reaches consumers, indicating how difficult it is to disrupt the food supply
2019
Source:
FAO
Jamaica
106.2
Caribbean
104
World
110.1
Number per 100 people
Mobile cellular subscriptions
106.2 Number per 100 people
Number of mobile phone subscriptions as a percentage of the population, indicating the level of infrastructure and access to information to respond to shocks
2022
Jamaica
0.4
Caribbean
0.3
World
0.5
Social capital index
0.4
An index for the social capital in the country—how much people feel they can trust and can rely on their government and one another
2021
Source: Legatum InstituteFSCI
Jamaica
60
Caribbean
53
World
25
% agricultural land
Proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture)
60% agricultural land
Percentage of agricultural land (crop and pasture) containing a sufficient diversity of species, which helps cope with shocks and changes
2020
Source:
Jones et al. 2021
Caribbean
18,869.4
World
163,165.1
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
No Data
Number of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
Source: FAOSTAT
Caribbean
0
World
3.8
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
No Data
Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium- or long-term conservation facilities (SDG 2.5.1)
Source: FAOSTAT
Caribbean
0.6
World
0.4
Prevalence of severe coping strategies
No Data
Percentage of high-risk populations who need to rely on extreme strategies to cope with food insecurity
Source:
WFP
Jamaica
0.5
Caribbean
0.6
World
0.7
Food price volatility
0.5
Jamaica
44
Caribbean
21.9
World
32.2
kcal/capita/day
Food supply variability per capita
44 kcal/capita/day
How much the food supply (in calories per person per day) varies over time, indicating how well the food system can respond to shocks
2021
Source: FAOSTAT
Less Desirable
More Desirable