The Enabling the Business of Agriculture Index (EBA) under Feed the Future

It builds on complementary Business Environment Efficiency (BEE) indices, such as Doing Business and Women, Business, and the Law. The EBA Index collects data through surveys, desk reviews, phone interviews, and country visits. The EBA Index covers eight core topic areas, including agricultural policies, regulations, and institutions. Two topics, land and livestock, are currently under development, while two cross-cutting themes, gender and environmental sustainability, are also being explored. The EBA Index has been used to assess the business environment for agriculture in various countries, with a strong correlation found between EBA scores and the level of agricultural transformation. The EBA Index has been used to support the Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security project, which aims to strengthen inclusive agriculture systems that are productive and profitable. The project has also contributed to the development of the EBA Index, providing feedback to the World Bank to improve the methodology. The EBA Index has been used to assess the business environment for agriculture in various countries, with a strong correlation found between EBA scores and other measures of regulatory quality. The EBA Index has been used to support the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including access to basic services, genetic diversity of cultivated plants, improving water quality, efficient and sustainable water withdrawals, integrated water resource management, enterprise access to financial services, and access to information and communication technology. The EBA Index has also been used to support the achievement of the Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS), which aims to strengthen inclusive agriculture systems that are productive and profitable. The EBA Index has undergone several iterations since its pilot in 2014, with the 2016 and 2017 reports providing key findings on the correlation between EBA scores and agricultural transformation. The EBA Index has been used to support the development of agricultural policies and regulations in various countries, with a focus on improving the business environment for agriculture. The EBA Index has also been used to support the achievement of several other development goals, including improving water quality and access to financial services.