Photo: Apollo Habtamu/ILRI
Ethiopia faces a high burden of undernutrition and pervasive challenges in diet quality: 38 percent of children under age five are stunted and only 9 percent of children under two years of
Photo: Apollo Habtamu/ILRI
Ethiopia faces a high burden of undernutrition and pervasive challenges in diet quality: 38 percent of children under age five are stunted and only 9 percent of children under two years of age meet minimum dietary diversity standards. These numbers highlight the need for improvement, but progress is underway. The rate of stunting has declined from 58 percent in 2000, and the share of children consuming a sufficiently diverse diet has nearly doubled since 2011.¹ However, Ethiopia also faces an increasing burden of overweight and obesity, especially among women of reproductive age in urban areas, and can expect an associated increase in noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, driven by urbanization and dietary changes that are transforming the country’s food system.
The government of Ethiopia has developed concrete, research-based responses to the country's nutrition challenges and emerging food system challenges. These policy and strategy initiatives have positioned Ethiopia to foster positive developments along the agriculture to 