The Food Balance sheets (FBS) report for Tanzania gives a comprehensive picture of food availability in relation to food supply and utilisation in the country. Food Balance Sheets (FBS) can be defined as an aggregated and analytical data set that presents a comprehensive picture of the pattern of a country’s food supply and utilisation during a specified reference period.
The statistics on FBS are very important. In fact, they help to understand the situation of supply and use of each product within a given country, track progress against established development goals and inform decision makers.
One of the major outputs of FBS statistics is the estimation of Dietary Energy Supply (DES), measured by the number of kilocalories
per person per day. The DES is an essential indicator of the food security situation in a country. Indeed, when it is compared to Dietary Energy Requirements (DER) - the average number of kcal/day required by a person to be in a healthy and active condition - DES can be used to estimate the number of persons undernourished. This food security indicator is one of the SDGs countries have committed to in order to regularly monitor the food security situation. In addition to the DES, the data from FBS can also be used to construct nutritional indicators, such as the quantities of fat or protein per person and per day, to assess the quality of the nutrition in a country and the evolution of diets overtime.
