AU Shall Enhance Food Security with New Agriculture Development Program 2026-2035

Following the extraordinary meeting in Uganda, the African Union adopted the new post-Malabo 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and related Action Plan as well as the Kampala Declaration of Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa for the decade from running from 2026 to 2035.

In his welcome address, Ugandan Yoweri Museveni urged African leaders to promote more local agrifood processing in order to move up the value chain and bring more benefits locally.

“This Africa of having no food and begging is not the real Africa, but the colonial and neo-colonial Africa. The battle for local value addition (#LVA) has been a big one because lobbies want to keep Africa as a raw-materials-producing continent. Adding value to agricultural products ensures vertical integration in agricultural sector: from garden to the table and from the farm to the wardrobe.”

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni

The population of Africa is forecasted to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 and will pose a serious challenge in terms of food security it it is business as usual. Ethiopian President Yaye Selassie urged Africa to boost its agricultural production, processing and trade in order to achieve Food Sovereignty.

The Plan sets ambitious target for Africa to enhance its #FoodSecurity. By 2035, intra-African trade in agrifood and inputs shall triple while the share of locally processed food will raise to 35% of agrifood GDP.

Intervening at the Meeting, AUC Chair Moussa Mahamat noted the rate of progress leaves to be desired with regards to the current CAADP Program as part of the Malabo Declaration. The Kampala Declaration is much more detailed as it includes a Strategic Vision and an Action Plan.

The AU Commissioner for Agriiculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment Josefa Sacko highlighted that with the Kampala Declaration, the AU now has a clear roadmap that outlines the pathway to realistic and implementable strategic objectives to foster the development of Food Systems on the continent.

Designed and drafted under an inclusive methodology, the CAADP has the support of all key stakeholders. The CAADP Program will contribute to create #TheAfricaWeWant and is also closely aligned with the Agricultural Transformation Vision put forward in the AU #Agenda2063.