AU Summit Launches New 10-Year Plan for African Agriculture Transformation
The summit marks a critical shift in Africa's agricultural policy after previous targets set under the Malabo Declaration proved unattainable.
KAMPALA, Uganda—African Union leaders gathered in Kampala Thursday to unveil a new decade-long strategy to transform the continent's struggling agricultural sector., writes Winston Mwale.
The move follows reports that no African nation is on track to meet current development targets.
The extraordinary summit, hosted at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, focused on adopting a new Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan for 2026-2035.
"No single country was on track to meet the Malabo CAADP goals and targets by 2025," said Josefa Sacko, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, referencing findings from a February 2024 review.
The new strategy envisions "resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa," according to Sacko. Key priorities include increasing food production, expanding value addition, boosting intra-African trade, and creating employment opportunities for youth and women.
The summit marks a critical shift in Africa's agricultural policy after previous targets set under the Malabo Declaration proved unattainable.
The new framework emerged from extensive consultations with regional economic communities, farmers' organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders.
"This Summit and the Kampala Declaration that will emanate from it represent a critical turning point in our collective efforts to transform Africa's agrifood systems," Sacko told delegates.
Frank Tumwebaze, Uganda's Minister of Agriculture and chair of the African Union's agricultural committee called 2025 "a defining year for the future of Africa's agricultural sector" during the extraordinary summit at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
The meeting marks a crucial transition from planning to implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2035, commonly known as the Kampala CAADP Agenda.
"We must move, not with the times, but ahead of times," Tumwebaze told assembled ministers.
"This calls for advances in technological research and practices, building agricultural systems that are resilient to climate change and other shocks, agro-industrialization."
The new strategy follows two decades after CAADP's initial adoption in 2003.
With 38 years remaining until Africa's Agenda 2063 deadline, Tumwebaze emphasized the urgency for "full implementation mode now."
The plan emerged from extensive consultations involving public sector officials, parliamentarians, farmers' organizations, private sector representatives, civil society groups, academics, and media stakeholders.
Ministers also discussed practical implementation challenges, including the need to expedite agreements for Regional Animal Resource Seed Centers of Excellence, with Uganda hosting one of five continental centers.
The summit included an exhibition showcasing agricultural research and technologies from across the continent, demonstrating practical applications of the strategy's goals for technological advancement and climate resilience.
The ministerial meeting precedes the final adoption of the strategy by African heads of state, marking the transition from planning to execution of the continent's agricultural development agenda through 2035.
The meeting culminated in two major outcomes: adopting the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan for 2026-2035 and the Kampala CAADP Declaration, which will guide agricultural development across the continent for the next decade.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni hosted the summit, with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed serving as the CAADP Champion.
The initiative aims to strengthen governance through evidence-based decision-making, enhance accountability among stakeholders, and ensure inclusive participation in the agricultural sector.