Ethiopia

Vision

A future where Ethiopia’s rural landscapes are thriving engines of growth – informed by CGIAR policy innovations that promote a resilient, private sector-led, and inclusive rural economy through research-based solutions and deep institutional capacity sharing.

To deliver on this vision, the Hub focuses on three core objectives:

• Co-creation: joint development of research and capacity-sharing activities with national partners.
• Evidence-based advice: inform strategies, policies, and investments based on the relevant evidence.
• Capacity sharing: foster capacity co-development, working with national partners to master appropriate and evolving analytics.

Mission

Through its Homegrown Economic Reform (HGER 2.0), Ten-Year Development Plan, and the Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition agenda, Ethiopia is committed to sustainable and inclusive development, towards which the private sector plays a central role. Rural transformation is at the heart of this development agenda.

The Ethiopia Policy Innovations Hub aspires to serve as a vital bridge between world-class research and real-world application that promotes this transformation. Specifically, the Hub fosters evidence-informed policy decisions that target sustainable livelihoods and resilient rural communities.

Successful sustainable rural transformation is country-owned and country-led. To contribute towards that, we focus on embedding the relevant analytical capabilities directly within Ethiopian institutions.

Examples of Current Capacity Sharing Initiatives:

• National Investment Prioritisation: Partnering with MoPD, the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and the National Bank of Ethiopia, to provide training in RIAPA (Recursive Dynamic Applied General Equilibrium) modelling for rural investment prioritisation.
• Institutional Research Strengthening: Collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and ATI to enhance the analytical capacity on food systems transformation and climate action convergence.
• Water and Irrigation Governance: Providing global water policy dialogues and technical capacity building for the Irrigation Department within the Ministry of Water and Energy and MILLs to improve groundwater and surface water management.
• Food Systems Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: Supporting MoA, ATI and the food systems transformation secretariat in developing the food systems transformation M&E framework and indicators, indicators reference guideline, and national digital platform for collection of data for monitoring and evaluation.
• Development of Policy Instruments: supporting ATI and EIAR in developing proclamations, regulations, directives, and guidelines for commercialisation of agricultural research in Ethiopia. 
• Development of Strategies: Supported MoA in developing national dairy, poultry and red meat development strategies.
• Establishment of Stakeholder’s Platforms: Supporting MoA in establishment and operationalization of National Dairy Innovation and Development Platform. 
• National Livestock Information System: Supporting MoA in building the capacity of Ministry staff in sustainable operation of the national livestock information system that includes livestock market information system among others.

The Hub brings high-quality and appropriate science specialised by AOW to work hand-in-hand with our national partners on priorities, including:

• AOW 1 on Foresight and Prioritisation: Developing economy-wide risk profiles with the MoA/MoPD/ATI/DRMC to identify rural vulnerabilities; investment prioritisation reports for MoPD/MoA/ATI; analytical capacity building.
• AOW 2 on Market-Led Transformation: impact of the Agricultural Commercialisation Cluster (ACC) program with ATI; rural income diagnostics.
• AOW 3 on Governance and Political Economy: institutional configurations for rural transformation.
• AOW 4 on Water, Energy, Food (WEFE) Nexus: water use.
• AOW 5:
  • Co-lead the National Dairy Innovation and Development Platform.
  • Contribute to the formulation of proclamations, regulations, directives and guidelines on the commercialisation of agricultural research as part of the implementation of the new rural and agricultural development policy.
  • Support ATI and MoA in operationalisation of the national food systems M&E.
  • Inaugurate and coordinate a country policy dialogue series. 
• AOW 6 on Social Inclusion and Employment: social protection; youth employment.

Evidence-generation and impact are co-created through longstanding partnerships across the federal government and national research ecosystem:

• National Planning: Ministry of Planning and Development (MoPD); Ministry of Finance; National Bank of Ethiopia; Ethiopian Investment Commission.
• Sector Ministries and Agencies: Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI); Ministry of Irrigation and Lowlands (MILLs); Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration; Ministry of Water and Energy; Ministry of Labour and Skills (MoLS), Ministry of Women and Social Affairs; Ministry of Youth and Sports; National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC); Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA); Ethiopia Meteorology Institute (EMI).
• Research: Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI); Policy Studies Institute (PSI); Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR); Livestock Development Institute (LDI); Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA); Addis Ababa University (AAU).

• KPI 1: Number of Policy Recommendations (e.g., Risk profile reports for NDRMC; Rural youth employment options).
• KPI 2: Number of Policies/Investments Informed (e.g., Irrigation expansion strategies; rural investment prioritisation).
• KPI 3: Number of National Institutions Strengthened (e.g., Capacity sharing with PSI, EIAR, MoPD, and National Bank of Ethiopia).

Expected Impact

Science-backed policies in Ethiopia that promote country-led poverty reduction, rural prosperity, and sustainable jobs for all.

For additional information about the Policy Innovation Hub in Ethiopia you can contact:

• Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI - a.seyoumtaffesse@cgiar.org
• Getachew Legese Feye, Scientist, ILRI - g.feye@cgiar.org