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Food system: the case of Ethiopian food systems
transformation (EFS) development
Mulugeta Teamir (PhD)
One CGIAR consultation workshop and Launch event:
ILRI, Addis Ababa, 29 - 30 March 2023

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Introduction
Triple burden of nutrition insecurity is highly prevalent with grave
consequences.
• Stunting , wasting and underweight are still high
• NCDs are increasing
• Micro-nutrient deficiency is high
Partly due to
• Very low consumption of nutritious foods (fruits and vegetables, ASF)
• Consumption of monotonous and undiversified food diets
• Low attention to food based-approach prevention
• GOE prioritized malnutrition one of nation challenges
• Encouraged multi-sectoral approach to address the problem
with different initiatives
• NNP I & II, FNP, FNS, Seqota declaration, NSA, SURE , School feeding…
Introduction

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Wasted Land
(ha)
People *
Unfed (mil)
CO2*
(mill tons)
Wasted *
water(Bil m3)
2,753,206.28
46.00 150.00 203.00
663,570.78
93,687.41
69,121.21
182,726.95
3,762,312.62 46.00 150.00 203.00
Crop type Total Harvest
(Tons)
FLW
(%)
FLW
(Ton)
Monetary loss
(ETB)
Cereals 30,205,426.08 25 7,551,356.52 211.43
Pulses & Oil
crops
3,977,443.28 25 994,360.82 44.75
Fruits 1,419,240.92 38 539,311.55 16.18
Vegetables 906,787.08 38 344,579.09 5.17
Root & Tubers 5,621,681.53 42 2,361,106.24 35.42
TOTAL 42,130,578.89 11,790,714.22 ≈6.2 Billion USD
* Calculated using Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) FLW calculator.
Commodity Monetary (Billion USD)
• Crops (cereals, fruits, vegetables, roots & tubers) 6.20
• Meat & Milk (Yilma, 2011; Felleke, 2010) 3.23
Total ≈9.43 USD
FLW of Crops of the 2020/2021 Main (Meher) Production Season and
its Impacts

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Food security status
FAOSTAT, 2020
14.7 15.6 15.7 15.4
18.4
22.6
56.7
60.4
63.2 63.3 63.2 64.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Food insecure poulation in millions
Severe food insecure Total food insecure
Introduction

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Ethiopian situation

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Agriculture Sector Policy,
strategies, programs and
Investment Framework
AGP II, PSNP
IV, PASDPII,
SURE
Food and Nutrition policy landscapes

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Food system
complex, non-linear, systems“ … that embrace all the elements
(environment, people, inputs, processes, infrastructure, institutions,
markets and trade) and activities that relate to the production,
processing, distribution and marketing, preparation and consumption of
food and the outputs of these activities, including socio-economic and
environmental outcomes
Food system

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Food Systems approach is holistic
People
End poverty and hunger, in all their forms
and dimensions, and to ensure that all
human beings can fulfil their potential in
dignity and equality and in a healthy
environment (SDG 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Prosperity
Enable all human beings can enjoy
prosperous and fulfilling lives (SDG
6,7,8,9,10 and 11)
Partnerships
Mobilize the means required to
implement this Agenda through a
revitalized Global Partnership for
Sustainable Development (SDG 17)
The Planet
Protect the planet from degradation,
including through sustainable
consumption and production, sustainably
managing its natural resources and taking
urgent action on climate change (SDG
12,13,14 and 15)
.
Peace
Foster peaceful, just and inclusive
societies which are free from fear
and violence (SDG 16)

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Updated CFS-HPLE Food Systems Framework

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Food System approach assists to address economy-wide systemic issues
Ethiopia recognizes interlinked political and economic
difficulties
• Population pressure – youth bulge, rising
unemployment
• Natural resource degradation;
• Food deficits and inflationary pressure
• Political conflicts
• Lags in technological adoptions, particularly in
agriculture and agro-industries
Accelerates the agricultural sector Productivity
enhancement and technological change Initiatives
• Irrigated agriculture
• Selected cereal crop production
• Horticultural initiatives
• Green legacy
• Yelemat terufat initiatives
Accelerates implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
• SDG has 17 goals, 169 targets; and
• commits to end poverty and hunger;
• Leave no one behind (inclusive development)
Ethiopia has embarked on the homegrown policy
reform and ease of doing business to facilitate:
• economy-wide economic transformation
• private sector participation
• knowledge-based economy
Globally, there are six 'mega-trends’ affecting the
SDGs:
1. poverty and inequalities,
2. demography,
3. environmental degradation and climate change,
4. shocks and crises,
5. development cooperation and financing for
development, and
6. technological innovation

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2. The Design of food systems transformation – the Game Changing
Solutions
• Ethiopia has subscribed to the UNFSS 5 Action Tracks as the starting point:
– Ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all (AT1)
– Shifting to sustainable consumption patterns (AT2)
– Boost nature positive production (AT3)
– Advanced equitable livelihoods (AT4)
– Build resilience to vulnerabilities and shocks & stress (AT5)
• Ethiopia started the dialogue forum in December 2020 where Minister Oumer appointed
as a convenor, Minister Dr. Lia as a co-convenor. Dr. Mandefro and Dr. Dereje were
curators.
• Three dialogue forums were conducted leading to national launch on 15 July 2021.
Ethiopia participated at the Rome Presummit conference. Ethiopia’s Food Systems
Synthesis report was hailed as an exemplary work
The Ethiopia process

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We have identified key challenges for the Ethiopian food system
AT 1: ensure access to safe
and nutritious food for all
AT 2: shift to sustainable
consumption patterns
AT 3: boost Nature positive
production
AT 4: Advance equitable
livelihoods
AT 5: Build resilience to
shocks & stress
1.1 Low availability &
affordability of nutrient
–dense foods
2.1 Low dietary
diversity, especially
among infants, children
& mothers
3.1 Lack of access to
agricultural inputs and
technologies
4.1 Weak market
linkages
5.1 Limited climate
adaptation and
resilience
1.2 Lack of food safety
management
infrastructure
2.2 Shift towards
unhealthy diets,
especially in urban areas
3.2 Lack of access to
agricultural and rural
financial services
4.2 Limited value
addition and processing
capacity
5.2 Need for integrated
risk and crisis
management
1.3 Lack of food
fortification, processing
and packaging
2.3 Limited dietary
guidelines and
education
3.3 Soil depletion 4.3 High post-harvest
losses
5.3 Need for universal
food access, especially
in vulnerable areas
3.4 Lack of adoption of
agro-ecological practices
4.4 Weak institutional
support
3.5 Weak land
ownership management
infrastructure

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EFS has gone through a process of identifying, selecting and finalizing ‘game
changing solutions’
1. The selection and prioritization of game changers was conducted by more than 120
participants from a broad range of government offices, NGOs, CSO & private sector
organizations, with a leadership from the Ethiopian Food Systems Core Team
• 86 game changers - submitted to the EFS Portal
• 63 game changers - Evaluated at the 2nd National EFS dialogue
• 33 game changers - reviewed by AT leads and TC
• 22 game changers finalized by AT leads and EFS Core Team
2. Furthermore, the 22 Game Changers were cluster into 6

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2.4 Clustered Game Changing Solutions
Ensure availability and
accessibility of safe and
nutrient dense foods
EFS GC 1: Strengthen the national food safety management and control systems of Ethiopia
EFS GC 2: Support diversified food production to increase the supply of nutrient dense foods
(animal sourced and plant-based foods) through promoting smallholder, greenhouse and garden
level production
EFS GC 3: Promote and enhance the production and consumption of fortified nutrient dense
staple foods through using industrial food fortification and bio fortification
EFS GC 4: Rural electrification to promote environmentally friendly and climate smart
technologies, including solar-powered community refrigerators and irrigation
EFS GC 6: Strengthen climate smart livestock value chains
EFS GC 8: Strengthen innovative strategies/ mechanisms of supply chain management and
handling systems particularly for nutrient dense crops (fruit, vegetables and animal sourced
foods)
EFS GC 19: Modernize and upscale indigenous food production and processing for
consumption by the general population
Cluster 1 Game Changing Solutions

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Sustainable and equitable
consumption of healthy,
safe and nutrient-dense
diets throughout the life
cycle
EFS GC 5: Improve young children’s, adolescents’ and mothers’ nutrition and dietary diversity
through a systematic analysis and a systems approach;
EFS GC 7: Promote innovations, government commitment and local ownership, as expressed in
the Seqota Declaration;
EFS GC 9: Sustained awareness creation and food and nutrition literacy to change consumer’s
behavior on the consumption of nutrient-dense and safe food through women empowerment
and leadership in food systems;
EFS GC 10: National food based Dietary Guidelines to provide dietary recommendations for the
Ethiopian population two years and older for increased diet quality and safety including dietary
diversity and food safety for optimal health;
Integrated policy and
system to promote
Agricultural
transformation
EFS GC 11: Implement land reform and land administration that will ensure the right to lease,
and use it for collateral to facilitate land consolidation, adoption of innovation, and reduce
environmental degradation
EFS GC 12: Introduce land use planning; resource planning, integrated landscape & watershed
management
EFS GC 13: Address deforestation and environmental degradation through implementing the
Green Legacy, the massive tree planting initiatives
EFS GC 14: Establish a finance system for farmers to access credit, get insurance services and
offer farmers financial literacy to help enhance rural and agricultural investment
2.4 Clustered Game Changing Solutions
Cluster 2 Game Changing Solutions
Cluster 3 Game Changing Solutions

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Accelerated
mechanization, enhanced
digital technology and
innovation throughout the
food system
EFS GC 15: Selection and timely supply of agricultural inputs and technologies to boost Production
and productivity using agricultural mechanization, digital technology and innovation
EFS GC 16: Advanced forecasting system for valuables affecting agriculture-based activities on
geospatial temporal weather models in Ethiopia
Managing and
mainstreaming risk and
protecting the poor
EFS GC 20: Index based crop and livestock insurance as disaster risk mitigation measures
EFS GC 21: Inclusive & sustainable social protection transfer including home grown school feeding
program and the use of digital fresh food vouchers among PSNP households with pregnant and
lactating women & children under 2 yrs of age in woredas with the highest prevalence of stunting
EFS GC 22: Strengthen system for timely and effective shock response including the prevention
and treatment of all forms of malnutrition – wasting, micronutrient deficiencies and stunting
2.4 Clustered Game Changing Solutions
Cluster 4 Game Changing Solutions
Cluster 6 Game Changing Solutions
Access to markets,
market information,
infrastructure and
specialization
EFS GC 17: Upgrading and strengthening national market information systems and related
digital approaches for mapping to strengthen evidence-based agricultural
development planning
EFS GC 18: Promote and facilitate the implementation of the Agricultural Commercialization
through creating specific specialization corridor and/or production for nutrient dense
commodities and strengthening market linkages (e.g. agro-industrial park)
Cluster 5 Game Changing Solutions

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Sequencing Implementation: Critical Enablers
6 Critical Enablers
GCs requiring strong, unified
and prioritized policy
commitments
EFS GC 14 - Establish a finance system for farmers to access credit, get insurance service
and offer farmers financial literacy to help enhance rural and agricultural investment
EFS GC 15 - Selection and timely supply of inputs and technologies to boost production
and productivity using digital technologies
EFS GC 4 - Rural electrification to promote environmentally friendly and climate smart
technologies
EFS GC 20 - Index based crop and livestock insurance as disaster risk mitigation
measures
EFS GC 11 - Implement land reform and land administration that will ensure the right to
lease, and use it for collateral
EFS GC 12 - Introduce land use planning; resource planning, integrated landscape &
watershed management
Crosscutting themes | Nutritional outcomes and Digital agriculture will be included as cross-
cutting component in the implementation of each priority initiative
The six critical enablers will remain priority during the course of implementation
Approved

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Who will participate / contributing to the transformation of the Ethiopian
Food System?
Activities
Production Processing
Storage, food safety
and Transportation Consumption
• Farmers
• Investors
• Technologists/innovators
• Ministry of Agriculture
and its affiliates
• Private Sector
• Technologists/innovators
• Ministry of Agriculture
and its affiliates
• Agro-Industrial parks
• Ministry of Trade and
Industry
• Ministry of Health and
its affiliates
• Private Sector
• Farmers
• Technologist/innovators
• Ministry of Agriculture
and its affiliates
• Ministry of Health and its
affiliates
• Ministry of Transport
• General public
• Private sector
• Regulatory and standard
institutions
• Ministry of Health and its
affiliates
• Ministry of Agriculture
and its affiliates
• NDRMC and affiliates
Other actors will also be engaged across the food system: CSOs, NGOs, Development Partners,

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EFS is business ‘unusual’
• Transforming EFS:
• represents peace and security, and upholds constitutional promise of
ensuring access to food, and rural electrification;
• means exceptionally focus on priority/critical enablers and take action
that are politically difficult
• mean mobilizing and engaging the whole of society

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Transforming EFS means mobilizing and engaging the whole of society at all
levels
Transform
EFS

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The Ethiopian government provided a strong guiding
framework for the agriculture sector through the Home-
Grown Economic Reform (HGER)
Home-Grown Economic Reform (HGER)
• Launched by the government of Ethiopia in September 2019 to sustain Ethiopia’s rapid
economic growth
• It prioritizes agriculture as one of the 5 economic pillars and underscores 6 priority
areas for the sector which are
o Productivity, land use, livestock, market, private investment, and agricultural
finance
Food systems Transformation
The Growth and Transformation
Plans (GTPs)
Seqota Declaration (SD)
National Nutrition Programs
(NNP)
National Food Security Strategy
(NFSS)
Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
(NSA)
School Health and Nutrition
Strategy (SHNS)
Food Safety and Quality related
regulatory activities
Productive Safety Net Program
(PSNP)
National Agricultural Investment
Plan (NAIP)
10 in 10
Key Ag.
sector reform
strategies and
programs
Source: ATI analysis, A Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda: A Pathway to Prosperity, 2020

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The MoA is developing the "10 in 10" program in order to
fulfill import substitution, export earnings, and domestic
growth…
• The 10 in 10 represents a full compact for the transformation of the agricultural sector
o It focuses on grains, vegetables, perennials, and livestock
• Key inputs: Seed, fertilizers, mechanization, irrigation, feed, and breed
• Key enablers are: Strengthened output market systems, access to finance and forex, logistics
infrastructure, and targeted public expenditure
10 National
Programs
in 10 Years
(10 in 10)
Wheat
Bread, Durum Wheat
Milled Rice
Onion, and Tomato
Banana, Avocado Papaya,
Bamboo
Sunflower, Soyabean,
Ground Nuts
Rice
Oilseeds
Vegetables
Green Legacy
Coffee
Poultry
Dairy
Red Meat
Enablers
Coffee, Tea
Egg, Chicken Meat
Cow and Camel
Milk
Beef, Mutton, Goat, &
Camel Meat
Policy, Seed, Fertilizer,
Feed, Mech., Irrigation
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
Source: ATI analysis, 10 in 10 Programs, MoA

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Livestock production will also rise significantly
949 Mn Qt of crop production is expected to be
achieved by 2030, a 86% increase
…with ambitious targets for crop and livestock production
4,268
295 59 57 48
9,700
1,759
152 260 115
Chicken
meat
Meat
Milk Honey Fish
+127%
+496%
+158% +356% +140%
Production, 000’ ton for meat & honey, milk in Mn liters
2020 2030
362
181
6 6
662
262
14 11
Horticulture
Cereals Coffee Spices
+83%
+45%
+133% +83%
2020 2030
Production, Mn Qt
925Mn Qt of total
production in 2030
Source: ATI analysis, 10 in 10 Programs, 2021

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3.1 Overall Approach for the Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition
Coordination Framework
• Farmers
• Input suppliers
• Aggregators
• Processors
• Distributors
• Retailers
• Innovators
• Universities
• Research
institutes
• others
Actors Engagement
Leadership & direction
Program coordination
Implementation
Farmers
Input suppliers
Processors
Aggregators
Retailers
Distributors
Associations
Innovators
Federal
EFS Cluster Technical
Working Groups
EFS Multisectoral Technical
Team
Inter-Ministerial
Steering Committee on
Food Systems
Transformation and
Nutrition
EFS Secretariat
+(technical support team)
Regional
Cluster Technical Working
Group (RBoA and Zone Admins)
Multi-sectoral Technical Team
to oversee regional working
group efforts
Regional Steering
Committee
(Regional Presidents/
RBoA Heads)
Secretariat to coordinate
regional engagements
Cross-Cutting Actors (across all levels)
Partnerships
GOE – Development
Partners Cooperation
and Coordination
Platform
National Partnerships
platforms
Existing platforms
RED-FS / Seqota/Nutrition
development partners
forum (NDPF )
Ethiopian Food Systems
Transformation
Coordination
Food Systems and Nutrition Council
(to be established)

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3.2 Governance and Composition of Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Steering
Committee
EFS Multisectoral Team EFS Cluster Working Groups
EFS Secretariat + (Technical
Support Team)
Governance and Composition
1. Ministry of Agriculture (chair
2. Ministry of Health (Co-Chair/ Chair)
3. Ministry of Plan & Development
4. Ministry of Industry
5. Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration
6. Ministry of Finance
7. Ministry of Irrigation & Lowland
8. Ministry of Education
9. Ministry of Water and Energy
10.Ministry of Innovation and Technology
11.Ministry of Women and Social Affairs
12.Ministry of Urban Development & Construction
13.Ministry of Transport and Logistics
14.Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission
Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee
Note:
1. The Inter-Ministerial Body will
coordinate the EFS, Food and
Nutrition and Sekota platform
(single governance with multiple
functions)
2. Other Ministries, agencies,
commissions or partners may be
co-opted into the inter-
Ministerial body as maybe
desired

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Proposed Composition (Lead by cluster that reflect Cluster technical requirements)
3.3 Coordination and Governance Structure of the Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Inter-
Ministerial Steering Committee
EFS Multisectoral
Technical Team
EFS Cluster Working Groups
Proposed Composition
Senior technical experts and
multisectoral coordinators with
representatives from gov’t and DPs
EFS Secretariat
supported by Technical Support
Team
Technical cluster working group
1. Cluster leads will be assigned by Ministers;
2. Cluster leads will be senior (State Minister/Director
General/Director)
Members
Gov’t departments, Dev’t partners; NGOs, CSOs,
Media, Private sector; etc.
Inter-Ministerial
Steering Committee
MoA FAO
MoH WFP
MOPD Other DPS
MOI
MoT
MoILL
Lead
Cluster 1 MoA /MoH
Cluster 2 MoH / MoA
Cluster 3 MoA /MOPD
Cluster 4 MoA /MINT
Cluster 5 MOT/ MoA
Cluster 6 EDRMC/MOA
• Nutrition development partners forum (NDPF );
• RED-FS, Sekota and other Platforms

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3.4 Ensure inter-cluster coordination and technical capacity
Proposed Composition
• Ministry of Agriculture (Incl.
ATI & EIAR)
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Planning and
Development
• Ministry of Industry
• Ministry of Trade
• Development partners (e.g.,
FAO, WFP, USAID)
• Cluster leads
The Multi-sectoral technical
Team will be supported by a
Technical Support Team (TST)
Multisectoral Technical Team
Members
1. Senior EFS Transformation Advisor (Coordinator)
2. Communications officer
3. Policy Officer
4. Resources & Partnership specialist
5. Crop sector lead expert
6. Livestock sector lead expert
7. Food security/DRM lead expert
8. Technology and Mechanization lead expert
9. Nutrition lead expert
10. Analytics (3 ATI secondment)
11. Regional support officers
12. Support staff
Technical Support Team
(located within the Office of the Minister)
The multi-sectoral core team consists of members from different ministries and technical experts
as well as dedicated technical professionals

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Government of Ethiopia and Development Partners: the Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition
Coordination Platform
Members
Government Ministries, Development Partners; NGOs, CSOs, Media,
Private sector; etc.
NOTE:
Structure, functions, and
composition of the platform
will have to be devised and
agreed on by partners
GoE – Partners Coordination Platform for EFS
Transformation
GoE – Development Partners
Coordination Platform
RED-FS Secretariat Nutrition development partners
forum (NDPF ), Sekota and others

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ከማምረት በላይ|Beyond Production
አመሰግናለሁ
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