Results of the Literature Review and Survey on Policy-Research Interactions
Date
2026-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
FARA
Abstract
This report presents findings from a systematic literature review, stakeholder interviews, and surveys examining policy-research interactions within sustainable food systems in Africa. Conducted under Work Package 1 (WP1) of the StEPPFoS project, the study investigates how researchers, policymakers, and research brokers engage with one another and how scientific evidence is incorporated into policymaking processes.
The report analyses the barriers and facilitators influencing evidence uptake, policy engagement, and collaboration across research and policy communities. It highlights persistent challenges including weak communication channels, limited institutional coordination, insufficient trust between actors, differing incentives, and inadequate mechanisms for translating scientific evidence into actionable policy recommendations.
Using bibliometric analysis, literature screening, interviews, and surveys, the study maps trends in science-policy interface research from 2000–2024, with strong emphasis on African food systems, sustainable agriculture, environmental sustainability, and development policy. The review incorporates peer-reviewed literature, grey literature, case studies, and policy reports sourced primarily from Scopus and Google Scholar databases.
The findings reveal the importance of knowledge brokers, multi-stakeholder engagement platforms, participatory research, and institutional collaboration in improving policy-research interaction. The report also identifies promising strategies such as co-creation of knowledge, improved evidence communication, strengthened partnerships, and digital knowledge-sharing systems to bridge the divide between research and policymaking.
The report concludes that strengthening evidence-informed policymaking in Africa’s food systems requires sustained investment in institutional capacity, communication mechanisms, collaborative platforms, and inclusive approaches that connect science, policy, and practice.
Description
This publication documents the results of Deliverable D1.6 under the StEPPFoS Project and focuses on understanding the science-policy interface within sustainable food systems and agricultural transformation in Africa.
The report combines three major components:
A systematic literature review
Interviews with StEPPFoS consortium partners
Surveys involving researchers, policymakers, and research brokers working in Africa’s food systems
The literature review explores research trends between 2000 and 2024, covering themes such as:
Sustainable agriculture
Food systems transformation
Environmental sustainability
Policy-research interaction
Evidence-informed policymaking
Science-policy interfaces in Africa
The methodology includes:
Bibliometric analysis
Abstract screening using ASReview
Deduplication using Zotero
Full-text review and thematic analysis
Comparative assessment of literature from Africa and other regions
The report identifies major barriers to effective policy-research interaction, including:
Weak institutional coordination
Limited evidence uptake mechanisms
Communication gaps between researchers and policymakers
Resource and capacity limitations
Lack of trust and collaboration frameworks
Insufficient translation of research into policy-ready formats
Key recommendations include:
Strengthening research-policy platforms
Enhancing stakeholder engagement mechanisms
Expanding knowledge brokerage systems
Improving evidence communication and translation
Building institutional capacity for policy analysis
Promoting participatory and co-creation approaches
The publication contributes to the StEPPFoS objective of improving evidence-informed policymaking and strengthening food systems governance across Africa through stronger science-policy collaboration.
Keywords
Policy-research interface, Evidence-informed policymaking, Science-policy interaction, Food systems transformation, Sustainable agriculture, Knowledge brokerage, Policy engagement, Bibliometric analysis, Africa, Research collaboration, Food systems governance, Evidence uptake
Citation
Boysen-Urban, K., Bosch, C., Flaig, D., & Namwanja, E. (2025). Results of the literature review and survey on policy-research interactions (StEPPFoS Deliverable Report D1.6; FDN #59). Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).