In January 2025, Uganda will host a crucial meeting to adopt a strategy and action plan for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) post-Malabo Declaration. This follows the recent 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum (AFS Forum 2024) held in Rwanda. The meeting will also see the adoption of the Kampala Declaration, which will guide CAADP’s implementation over the next decade. According to Godfrey Bahigwa, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the African Union Commission, this declaration will address pressing issues such as technological advancements and the challenges posed by climate change. He emphasised that Africa’s agri-food systems face additional pressures from rapid population growth, urbanisation, and changing consumer patterns, which require urgent innovations in agricultural practices. We must increase investments in agricultural research and development and accelerate the adoption of appropriate technologies to ensure food and nutrition security, job creation, and wealth generation, while protecting the environment, Bahigwa remarked, quoting Josefa Sacko, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment. The draft CAADP strategy and action plan for 2026-2035, which has been presented to stakeholders for validation, outlines six key objectives, including intensifying sustainable food production, fostering agro-industrialization, ensuring food security, promoting inclusivity for women and youth, building resilient systems, and strengthening governance. Here are four critical areas the Kampala Declaration should prioritise for the transformation of Africa's agri-food systems: Building resilient Agriculture to withstand climate change In the 2014 Malabo Declaration, African Union member states committed to ending hunger and malnutrition by 2025. However, the fourth CAADP Biennial Review Report (2015-2023) shows that the continent is off track, with an estimated 298.4 million people affected by hunger in 2023—up from 284 million in 2022. Chola Mfula, Programme Officer for Agribusiness and Investment at AUDA-NEPAD, pointed out that disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, particularly drought, have hindered progress. To address these challenges, Mfula advocates for reducing reliance on rain-fed agriculture by embracing innovative technologies like precision irrigation to increase yields while conserving water. Françoise Uwumukiza, Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources at the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), stressed the need for climate-resilient food systems. She emphasised growing crops that can withstand climate change and contributing to the fight against global warming by promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Addressing food waste and losses Food insecurity remains a critical issue in Africa, with significant food losses reported along the entire supply chain. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Africa’s food losses amount to 15.9% by quantity and 17.2% in caloric value. Uwumukiza highlighted the importance of addressing food waste from the farm to the consumer. Reducing post-harvest losses, promoting responsible consumption, and supporting healthy diets that prevent malnutrition-related diseases are critical to ensuring food security. Mfula added that addressing post-harvest losses could significantly reduce Africa’s reliance on food imports, thus contributing to greater self-sufficiency. Honouring Agricultural Funding Commitments Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, Chair of AGRA and the African Food Systems Forum Partners Group, stressed the urgency of transforming food systems. He pointed out that Africa spends only 4.3% of its total public expenditure on agriculture, falling short of the 10% target set in the Malabo Declaration. Uwumukiza called for stringent measures against leaders who fail to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture, as promised. She emphasised the role of parliamentarians in ensuring that the commitments made under the Kampala Declaration are upheld through legislation and budget allocation. Mfula echoed this sentiment, adding that attracting more private sector investment in agriculture through public-private partnerships is essential to ensuring food availability, accessibility, and affordability. Operationalizing Intra-African Food Trade through AfCFTA The AFS Forum 2024 highlighted the importance of intra-African trade in food commodities and products, emphasising the role of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in facilitating regional food trade. Delegates called for urgent measures to address non-tariff barriers and export bans that hinder food security. Mfula stressed the need for infrastructure development to ease the movement of goods across countries. He pointed out that intra-African trade accounts for only 18% of total trade, with Africa trading more with other continents than within itself. Infrastructure development, he said, will be key to agricultural growth over the next decade.
