Governance and Policy Frameworks for Food Systems Transformation in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Transforming food systems toward sustainability, resilience, and equity has become a global priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where governance constraints continue to undermine food security and nutrition outcomes. In Ethiopia, agriculture remains central to livelihoods, employment, and economic growth, yet the effectiveness, coherence, and inclusiveness of the governance and policy frameworks that shape food system transformation are not well understood. This systematic review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on governance structures, policy coherence, multisectoral coordination, and implementation dynamics influencing Ethiopia’s food system transformation between 2020 and 2025. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and transparency. A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, AGRIS, AGORA, and selected grey literature sources, yielding 1,500 records. After removing duplicates and applying inclusion criteria, 134 studies were retained for analysis. The review drew on both peer-reviewed academic studies and policy and institutional reports. Data were extracted using a standardized template that captured bibliographic details, study setting, methodological design, governance constructs, policy domains, institutional actors, financing and implementation arrangements, and key findings. Because the evidence base was heterogeneous and largely qualitative, the analysis proceeded through thematic synthesis supported by qualitative coding software. Codes were developed inductively and organized into recurring domains, including coordination, policy coherence, participation, accountability, sub-national capacity, and climate-related governance. Findings reveal that Ethiopia has established an extensive, multi-layered governance architecture comprising more than 15 ministries, inter-ministerial platforms, and multisectoral coordination mechanisms. Despite this institutional progress, food system transformation remains constrained by persistent policy fragmentation, weak operational coordination, and limited alignment between national strategies and sub-national implementation. Capacity gaps at regional and local levels, particularly in human resources, financing, infrastructure, and monitoring systems, significantly hinder effective policy execution. Decision-making processes are also centralized and insufficiently inclusive, limiting meaningful participation of smallholder farmers, women, youth, and civil society actors. While progressive policies and strategies exist, their implementation remains inconsistent, and empirical evidence linking governance arrangements to household-level food security, nutrition, and resilience outcomes is limited. Overall, governance functionality, rather than policy availability, emerges as the primary constraint to food system transformation in Ethiopia. Strengthening policy coherence across sectors, institutionalizing multisectoral coordination through aligned mandates and budgeting processes, enhancing sub-national implementation capacity, and embedding inclusive and participatory governance mechanisms are identified as critical leverage points to support a more integrated, equitable, and climate-resilient transformation of Ethiopia’s food system. Key words: Food systems, Governance, Policy coherence, Multisectoral coordination, Resilience, Ethiopia