Guidance manual on calculating and visualizing income gap to a Living Income Benchmark

The Living Income Community of Practice (LICoP) has identified the need for guidance to support researchers and practitioners in assessing the gap between actual farming household incomes and estimates of the Living Income Benchmark in a particular location

The Living Income Benchmark is the net income required for a basic, but decent, standard of living. The Benchmark is based on the costs of living, in line with the Living Wage methodology of Martha and Richard Anker.

Living income reflects the needs of a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members. It includes food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transport, clothing, and other essential needs, including provisi.on for unexpected events. Because of how it is composed, the moment in time, the geographical region and the family composition are key in defining the benchmark. Geographical region and moment in time determine prices and overall costs, while family composition has implications for housing space, education costs and food intake needs.