IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/devpol/v37y2019i2p293-310.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The role of evidence in nutrition policy‐making in Ethiopia: Institutional structures and issue framing

Author

Listed:
  • Helen Walls
  • Deborah Johnston
  • Elisa Vecchione
  • Abdulfatah Adam
  • Justin Parkhurst

Abstract

Malnutrition is the single greatest contributor to the global burden of morbidity and mortality, with most cases arising in low‐ and middle‐income countries. However, the multi‐sectoral nature of nutrition policy‐making adds considerable complexity to the implementation of effective programmes. This raises questions about why or how relevant policy change can come about within different country settings. This article examines multi‐sectoral nutrition policy‐making from the health sector perspective, specifically focusing on different sectoral perspectives and the role and use of evidence within this. Ethiopia provides a unique example of the challenging nature of multi‐sectoral nutrition policy‐making, even with a strong co‐ordinating infrastructure. In December 2014 we undertook 23 in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with stakeholders from key health sector organizations, along with a related documentary analysis. Participants represented a diverse range of perspectives, including government representatives, policy stakeholders, aid providers from multi‐lateral organizations and academic researchers. Our respondents described how nutrition framing in Ethiopia is changing, with greater consideration of overweight, obesity and non‐communicable diseases, as well as undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. However, overweight‐ and obesity‐related concerns are still less evident in key documents. Some health actors described the challenge of enacting structural policy changes when doing so requires engagement from the agriculture sector. While multi‐sectoral plans and infrastructure to address malnutrition are in place, respondents suggested that the mandate for addressing nutrition resting with the health sector was reinforced by the nature of evidence collected. This study of nutrition policy‐making in Ethiopia highlights the complex interaction of evidence within different conceptualisations of policy problems and responses. Despite Ethiopia's strategic framework and its progress in achieving terms of nutrition targets, it shares the challenge of countries elsewhere in addressing nutrition as a multi‐sectoral issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen Walls & Deborah Johnston & Elisa Vecchione & Abdulfatah Adam & Justin Parkhurst, 2019. "The role of evidence in nutrition policy‐making in Ethiopia: Institutional structures and issue framing," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 293-310, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:37:y:2019:i:2:p:293-310
    DOI: 10.1111/dpr.12385
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12385
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/dpr.12385?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Walls, Helen L. & Cornelsen, Laura & Lock, Karen & Smith, Richard D., 2016. "How much priority is given to nutrition and health in the EU Common Agricultural Policy?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 12-23.
    2. Baker, P. & Hawkes, C. & Wingrove, K. & Demaio, A. & Parkhurst, Justin & Thow, A.M. & Walls, H., 2018. "What drives political commitment for nutrition? A review and framework synthesis to inform the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86630, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. World Bank, 2013. "Improving Nutrition through Multisectoral Approaches," World Bank Publications - Reports 16953, The World Bank Group.
    4. March, James G. & Olsen, Johan P., 1983. "The New Institutionalism: Organizational Factors in Political Life," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 78(3), pages 734-749, December.
    5. Christopher Cramer & Deborah Johnston & Bernd Mueller & Carlos Oya & John Sender, 2017. "Fairtrade and Labour Markets in Ethiopia and Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(6), pages 841-856, June.
    6. Garrett, James, ed. & Natalicchio, Marcela, ed., 2011. "Working multisectorally in nutrition: Principles, practices, and case studies," Research reports jamesgarrett, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Richard Heaver, 2005. "Strengthening Country Commitment to Human Development: Lessons from Nutrition," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 7310.
    8. Nisbett, Nicholas & Wach, Elise & Haddad, Lawrence & El Arifeen, Shams, 2015. "What drives and constrains effective leadership in tackling child undernutrition? Findings from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 33-45.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elyse Iruhiriye & Deanna K. Olney & Edward A. Frongillo & Emmanuel Niyongira & Simeon Nanama & Eugene Rwibasira & Paul Mbonyi & Christine E. Blake, 2022. "Translation of policy for reducing undernutrition from national to sub-national levels in Rwanda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(4), pages 977-993, August.
    2. Gillespie, Stuart & van den Bold, Mara, 2015. "Stories of change in nutrition: A tool pool:," IFPRI discussion papers 1494, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Arlène Alpha & Samuel Gebreselassié, 2015. "Governing Food and Nutrition Security in Food-Importing and Aid-Recipient Countries: Burkina Faso and Ethiopia," FOODSECURE Working papers 34, LEI Wageningen UR.
    4. Mogues, Tewodaj & Billings, Lucy, 2019. "The making of public investments: The role of champions, co-ordination, and characteristics of nutrition programmes in Mozambique," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 29-38.
    5. Laviolette, Luc & Gopalan, Sudararajan & Elder, Leslie & Wouters, Olivier J., 2016. "Incentivizing nutrition: how to apply incentive mechanisms to accelerate improved nutrition outcomes: a practitioner’s compendium," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 68711, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Gillespie, Stuart & van den Bold, Mara & Hodge, Judith, 2019. "Nutrition and the governance of agri-food systems in South Asia: A systematic review," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 13-27.
    7. Nick Chisholm, 2019. "Multi‐sectoral collaboration for improved nutrition: The problems and prospects of implementation in Ethiopia," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 274-292, March.
    8. Fracassi, Patrizia & Siekmans, Kendra & Baker, Phillip, 2020. "Galvanizing political commitment in the UN Decade of Action for Nutrition: Assessing commitment in member-countries of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    9. Taylor, Sebastian A.J. & Perez-Ferrer, Carolina & Griffiths, Andrew & Brunner, Eric, 2015. "Scaling up nutrition in fragile and conflict-affected states: The pivotal role of governance," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 119-127.
    10. Michal Ovádek, 2021. "Procedural Politics Revisited: Institutional Incentives and Jurisdictional Ambiguity in EU Competence Disputes," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1381-1399, November.
    11. Leah Salm & Nicholas Nisbett & Katie Cuming & Tabitha Hrynick & Alexandra Lulache & Hayley MacGregor, 2023. "A whole system approach to childhood obesity: how a supportive environment was created in the city of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(4), pages 919-935, August.
    12. Rajani Ved & Purnima Menon, 2012. "Analyzing Intersectoral Convergence to Improve Child Undernutrition in India: Development and Application of a Framework to Examine Policies in Agriculture, Health, and Nutrition," Working Papers id:5177, eSocialSciences.
    13. Henry Mugabi, 2015. "Institutional Commitment to Community Engagement: A Case Study of Makerere University," International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(1), pages 187-187, February.
    14. Cate Watson & Gary Husband & Aileen Ireland, 2021. "Opening the ‘black box’: what does observational research reveal about processes and practices of governing?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(1), pages 189-221, March.
    15. Tanita Northcott & Mark Lawrence & Christine Parker & Phillip Baker, 2023. "Ecological regulation for healthy and sustainable food systems: responding to the global rise of ultra-processed foods," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1333-1358, September.
    16. Fikadu Mitiku & Yann De Mey & Jan Nyssen & Miet Maertens, 2017. "Do Private Sustainability Standards Contribute to Income Growth and Poverty Alleviation? A Comparison of Different Coffee Certification Schemes in Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-21, February.
    17. Karla Rubio‐Jovel, 2023. "The voluntary sustainability standards and their contribution towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals: A systematic review on the coffee sector," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1013-1052, August.
    18. Anna Fabry & Monica Schuster & Miet Maertens, 2024. "Decent and equal work in agri‐food systems: Evidence from Peru," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(2), pages 803-830, June.
    19. Anja Garbely & Elias Steiner, 2023. "Understanding compliance with voluntary sustainability standards: a machine learning approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 11209-11239, October.
    20. Ved, Rajani & Menon, Purnima, 2012. "Analyzing intersectoral convergence to improve child undernutrition in India: Development and application of a framework to examine policies in agriculture, health, and nutrition," IFPRI discussion papers 1208, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:devpol:v:37:y:2019:i:2:p:293-310. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/odioruk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.