By John Odyek
The African Union (AU) heads of state have adopted the Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa, with a call to implement the seven commitments.
This declaration, agreed upon on Saturday during an extraordinary summit in Kampala, contains key commitments for transforming Africa’s agrifood systems.
The CAADP summit took place at Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo on January 9-11, 2025.
The declaration outlines seven critical points of action that underscore the urgency of building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems across the continent.
The commitments are: intensify sustainable food production, agro-industrialisation, and trade; food and nutrition security; boosting investment and financing for accelerated agrifood systems transformation; advancing inclusivity and equitable livelihoods; building resilient agrifood systems; strengthening agrifood systems governance and a call for action/ implementation of commitments.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to CAADP, a core initiative to modernise agriculture for increased productivity.
The declaration echoes previous milestones, including the 2014 Malabo Declaration, which reinforced the 2003 Maputo (Mozambique) Declaration and the 2004 Sirte (Libya) Declaration on agriculture, water and sustainable development challenges in Africa.
President Yoweri Museveni and many African leaders including William Ruto (Kenya), Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Everiste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), João Lourenço (Angola) and Moussa Faki Mahamat, the outgoing chairperson of the African Union Commission, among others.
Mahamat is a Chadian politician. With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and the global population reaching 9.8 billion, the declarations emphasise the urgent need to meet growing food demands through increased agricultural production, productivity, food processing and trade.
The declarations highlight the significant effects of climate change on Africa’s agrifood systems, particularly for vulnerable populations.
In view of that, the leaders called for innovative responses to ensure access to safe, affordable and nutritious food while reinforcing international cooperation for sustainability.
Emerging technologies
The leaders recognised the transformative impact of digital agriculture, biotechnology and precision farming in revolutionising Africa’s agrifood systems.
The adoption of mobile phones and digital tools is enhancing farmers’ access to critical information, financial services and markets, and was deemed crucial for the continent’s agricultural future.
The declaration stresses the importance of removing barriers to resources such as land, credit and inputs, while promoting gender-sensitive policies and initiatives.
They recognised the immense potential of youth engagement, saying Africa’s rapidly expanding population offers a unique opportunity to drive agricultural innovation and growth.
“By providing young people with the necessary training, mentorship, and access to vital resources, the leaders can empower them to become transformative agents within agrifood systems. This engagement not only addresses critical challenges such as unemployment and rural-urban migration, but also infuses the sector with fresh ideas, creativity and energy, leading to more dynamic, resilient, and forward-thinking agrifood systems,” the leaders noted.
Regional Integration and trade
The leaders acknowledged the critical role of regional integration in boosting intra-African trade, agricultural competitiveness and resilience.
The declaration calls for integration of agricultural production into broader supply chains, as well as investment in infrastructure, technology and policies that enhance the agrifood processing sector.
They acknowledged the transformative potential of emerging technologies in enhancing productivity and resilience within Africa’s agrifood systems.
To the leaders, these innovations present powerful solutions to critical challenges such as food insecurity, nutrition gaps and climate change.
“By advancing farming techniques and optimising resource management, technologies like mechanisation, digital agriculture, biotechnology, and other innovations are key to improving efficiency, sustainability, and scalability across the sector,” the leaders said.
Water managment
The leaders emphasised that sustainable water management, particularly in regions facing water scarcity, is essential for the successful transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems.
“It is crucial to adopt efficient practices such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.”
These strategies are vital for increasing agricultural productivity amid climate change and growing populations.
Strategic investments in water infrastructure and sustainable management practices are pivotal in strengthening the resilience and ensuring the long-term sustainability of agrifood systems.
The leaders noting that addressing the diverse needs of farmers, from smallholders to large-scale producers, is crucial for achieving a transformative and sustainable agrifood system.
While smallholder farmers often face challenges such as limited access to resources, medium and large-scale farmers encounter regulatory and logistical barriers.
Tailored policies and robust support systems are vital in overcoming these challenges, enabling all farmers to enhance productivity, promote equitable growth and bolster food and nutrition security across the continent.
They emphasised that transitioning from an agriculture-led agrifood system to a comprehensive approach, which will tackle challenges across the entire agrifood value chain while aligning policies with broader development objectives.
This holistic approach prioritises environmental sustainability, promotes diverse and nutritious diets to combat malnutrition in addition to fostering economic inclusion for Africa’s predominantly agricultural population.
Additionally, it seeks to expand market access and strengthen regional trade. Recognising the critical importance of reducing post-harvest losses, they emphasised the urgent need to foster innovations in post-harvest handling, storage and transportation.
These advancements are essential in minimising food losses, improving food availability and enhancing farmers’ incomes, ultimately strengthening food security and economic resilience across the continent.
The Seven Com The declaration includes seven commitments designed to accelerate agrifood systems transformation.
These are: Sustainable Food Production, Agro-Industrialisation and Trade The leaders committed to increase agrifood output by 45% by 2035 through the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to meet the growing Africa food requirements and global trade opportunities.
They pledged to reduce post-harvest losses by 50%, tripling intra-African trade in agrifood products and inputs by 2035 in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area, and raising the share of locally-processed food to 35% of agrifood gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
They aim at strengthening agricultural input systems, ensuring widespread adoption of sustainable practices as well as promoting smallholder farmers, women and youth integration into value chains.
Investment and financing
They committed to mobilise $100b in public and private sector investment by 2035.
They will allocate at least 10% of the annual public expenditure to agrifood systems and reinvest 15% of agrifood GDP into the sector annually.
Food and nutrition security
The leaders committed to achieving zero hunger by 2035 and reduce stunting, wasting and overweight citizens by 25%, thereby ensuring that 60% of the population can afford a healthy diet.
They agreed to strengthen nutrition policies and programmes, enhance food safety, and promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
Advancing inclusivity and equitable livelihoods The leaders committed to reducing extreme poverty by 50%, as well as reducing the yield gap between men and women farmers by 50%.
They also agreed to empower 30% of women, youth, and vulnerable groups each in agrifood value chains.
Building Resilient Agrifood Systems
It was resolved that at least 30% of agricultural land is put under sustainable management and 40% of households are protected from shocks by 2035.
The leaders also resolved to strengthen early warning systems, enhance research on climate adaptation and mobilise climate finance for smallholders.
Agrifood Systems Governance The leaders committed to ensuring that by 2028, all AU member states and regional economic communities integrate the Kampala CAADP declaration into their national and regional agrifood systems investment plans, while adopting best practices in agrifood systems governance based on CAADP principles.
Additionally, by 2030, all countries agreed to incorporate the CAADP biennial review process into their national agriculture sectoral review platforms to enhance accountability and track progress.
They will promote evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and collaboration between national and regional stakeholders, as well as ensure that actions are guided by reliable data.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: President Museveni (second-right) interacting with some heads of state and other dignitaries at Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo on Saturday. (PPU photo)
