Trade-offs and synergies in food system transition: case of the Ethiopian dairy sector

Abstract The transformation of food systems in low-and middle-income countries is indispensable for attaining food and nutrition security. To analyse and better understand food system transition, transition pathway approach is commonly used as a tool to engage key stakeholders in looking for a solution to a major structural food system issue that requires a transition. Inherent in these food system transition pathways are trade-offs and synergies within or between different dimensions of sustainability, scales, and types of actors. The objective of this study was to identify and assess with the stakeholders the trade-offs and synergies in transition pathways of doubling dairy consumption in Ethiopia. Of the four transition pathways developed of doubling dairy consumption within 15 years, we focused on two pathways in this study. The “peri-urban pathway” focused on the vision that all low-income peri-urban consumers have access to safe and affordable pasteurized milk by 2037 while the “ rural pathway” aimed at access to pasteurized milk by all rural pregnant and lactating women, and children under 7 years. Fifteen trade-offs were identified by the participants for the two pathways. Scores of the importance of each trade-off ranged from 1 to 3 on a Likert scale from 1 (low) to 4 (very high) with average of 2.47 ± 0.42 and 2.6 ± 0.371 for peri-urban and rural pathways, respectively. Applying transition pathway approach to this case study shows that stakeholder participation is essential to assessment of trade-offs and synergies in food system transition, and that it is context-specific and pathway-dependent.