The African Union Commission (AUC) is taking a significant step toward ensuring food security in Africa with the finalization of a ten-year Comprehensive Agriculture Programme (2026-2035). This initiative underscores the continent’s commitment to sustainable agricultural transformation and aligns with efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Kampala Hosts Post-Malabo CAADP Summit
From January 9 to 11, 2025, the AUC will convene an Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) at the Speke Resort Conference Centre in Kampala, Uganda. Hosted in collaboration with the Ugandan government, the summit is jointly organized by the AUC’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), along with the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).
The summit’s agenda includes deliberations on the draft Kampala CAADP Declaration, the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035), the draft statute for the Africa Food Safety Agency, and a report on the selection of African Union Centres of Excellence for research and training in fisheries, aquaculture, and biodiversity conservation.
Summit Objectives
The Extraordinary Summit aims to:
- Endorse the Kampala CAADP Declaration: A visionary framework for transforming Africa’s agrifood systems over the next decade.
- Approve the Ten-Year Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035): A roadmap detailing measures to achieve the declaration’s goals.
- Enhance Risk Management and Resilience: Addressing socio-economic, environmental, and health-related risks that may hinder progress.
Addressing Risks and Mitigation Strategies
Recognizing potential challenges, the CAADP strategy integrates measures to mitigate risks, including:
- Political Instability and Climate Change: Developing adaptive mechanisms to sustain progress.
- Health Crises: Strengthening surveillance systems and food safety protocols to minimize impacts of pandemics and foodborne diseases.
- Gender Inequality: Promoting inclusivity by empowering women and youth through education, resources, and decision-making opportunities.
- Peacebuilding: Establishing conflict-resolution mechanisms to ensure resilient agri-food systems and stable markets.
- Economic Stability: Facilitating access to financial instruments for households and stabilizing food markets to prevent price volatility.
Building on CAADP’s Legacy
Since its inception in 2003, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has played a critical role in driving agricultural transformation across Africa. Guided by goals such as achieving a 6% annual agricultural growth rate and allocating at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture, CAADP has been instrumental in enhancing food security, reducing poverty, and promoting economic growth.
The 2014 Malabo Declaration renewed commitments to CAADP, setting ambitious targets to eradicate hunger, reduce malnutrition, and build resilient livelihoods by 2025. However, during the Thirty-Seventh Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in February 2024, leaders acknowledged that Africa remains off-track to meet these goals, necessitating a post-Malabo agenda.
Summit Format and Participation
The summit will begin with ministerial sessions on January 9, 2025, focusing on agriculture, rural development, water, and environment. A joint session with foreign affairs ministers will follow on January 10. These closed sessions will feature presentations on the draft Ten-Year Strategy and Kampala Declaration. Heads of State and Government will convene on January 11 to endorse the proposals.
Participants will include African Union Heads of State, ministers, experts, representatives from Regional Economic Communities (RECs), youth and women leaders, academia, non-state actors, media, and development partners.
A Shared Vision for Africa’s Future
The AU remains guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous, and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.” Initiatives such as the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan are vital to realizing the AU’s Agenda 2063, which outlines a strategic framework for Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
By uniting stakeholders across the continent, the Kampala Summit is set to define the next chapter in Africa’s agricultural journey, paving the way for sustainable growth and shared prosperity.
