Understanding Interactions Between Sustainable Development Goals Within and Between Policy Programmes: The Case of Kenya's Dairy Sector

ABSTRACT Achieving Agenda 2030 depends on addressing interactions between the sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this paper, we conceptualize SDG interactions as synergies or trade‐offs, incoming or outgoing, and internal or external, and analyze how SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) interacts with other SDGs within and across policy programmes that support the Kenyan dairy sector. The analysis of programme documents and interviews reveals that most policy programmes focus on advancing the targets of SDG 2 through internal, incoming interactions from SDG 5, 8, 10 & 13, with less emphasis on outgoing interactions from SDG 2 to these other SDGs. External interactions between SDGs in different policy programmes manifest in several ways, from unidirectional and bidirectional synergies and trade‐offs to asymmetrical interactions between programmes. The patterns of synergies and trade‐offs identified in this study can inform the design and implementation of nationally and internationally funded programmes that aim to support sustainable dairy development.