African leaders urged to use new CAADP plan to tackle agricultural threats

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African leaders and stakeholders in the agriculture sector have been urged to make use of the newly launched Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2036 to develop holistic systems that address challenges facing food production on the continent.

The strategy was adopted during the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State Assembly in Kampala, Uganda, in January this year.

The call was made by Moses Vilakati, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, at the launch of the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026 to 2035) and the Kampala Declaration, which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Monday, May 5.

“A seed of hope has been planted in the fertile soil of Africa's agricultural landscape. Today, we gather to nurture this seed into a bountiful harvest, symbolising the transformation of our agriculture sector and the prosperity of our people,” he said.

He explained that agriculture is not just about production, but about creating a holistic system that encompasses production, processing, distribution, and consumption.

He added that agriculture also envisions sustainable and resilient agri-food systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa.

“Through this strategic document, the continent has been offered a springboard to create greater coherence in the bid to drive nature-positive agricultural production systems that will support ecosystem restoration and biodiversity gain,” Vilakati said.

He further explained that currently, Africa is home to nine of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, and African Union Member States are already diverting up to 9% of their national budgets to respond to climate extremes.

“This strategy, if fully implemented by our Member States, [will ensure that] pertinent and persistent issues such as food and nutritional insecurity; biodiversity loss; gender inequality; rising unemployment; migration; emerging diseases, including pandemics; inflation; and weak economies, including adaptation and mitigation, would be effectively addressed,” he said.

On behalf of the South African government, John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament, called for investments and resource mobilisation for the agriculture sector to combat poverty and hunger while enhancing agricultural productivity.

“It is vital to acknowledge that the significance of the CAADP strategy lies in its valuable insights into resolving our current challenges. The prospects for expediting poverty alleviation in the coming years remain uncertain, as Africa faces the repercussions of socio-economic shocks and persistently high food inflation rates due to disease outbreaks, climate change, and other contributing factors,” he said.

He added that if not addressed, the situation is expected to have adverse effects on food and nutrition security and the consumption levels of African households.

He also called for the elimination of distortions and the resolution of market failures hindering technology adoption, which is essential for productivity, particularly for smallholder farmers.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been the driving force behind Africa’s agricultural transformation since its adoption in 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Maputo CAADP framework aimed to accelerate economic growth, reduce poverty, and enhance food security through agriculture-led growth, targeting a 6% annual agricultural GDP growth by 2015 and at least 10% of public expenditures allocated to agriculture.

In 2014, the Malabo Declaration expanded CAADP's agenda to seven agricultural transformation commitments with specific goals and targets to be achieved by 2025. 

Over the past two decades, CAADP has elevated African agriculture, promoted broad participation, and mobilised political commitment and investments.

As a result, Africa has witnessed significant agricultural growth from 2000 to 2021, with its agricultural sector becoming the fastest-growing globally.

A robust monitoring and reporting mechanism has also been established through the CAADP Biennial Review. The Biennial Review report has become the primary source of information on agricultural transformation in Africa.

Despite these advancements, no country was on track to meet the Malabo CAADP goals and targets by 2025. 

In 2024, the African Union Assembly voiced concerns about the continent's slow progress, alongside emerging threats to African agri-food systems, and called for the development of a post-Malabo CAADP agenda.

In 2024, the process for the development of the new CAADP Strategy and Action Plan began and concluded with its adoption, together with the associated CAADP Kampala Declaration, at the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State Assembly held from 9–12 January 2025, in Kampala, Uganda.