A new decade for African Agriculture: But what can we do differently?

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OPINION

By Solomon Kalema Musisi

As we approach the close of 2025, there is more than just a new year to look forward to.

In African Agriculture, 2026 will come as the first year of a new decade of a flagship framework for the 55-member states of the African Union. This framework, which is known as the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme and abbreviated as CAADP, will see Uganda add another name to “Pearl of Africa” and “Birthplace of Robusta Coffee.”

For the next 10 years, Governments across Africa will implement plans guided by what is now known as “The Kampala CAADP Declaration” which was birthed at an extraordinary AU Summit hosted in the Ugandan capital from 9^th to 11^th of January this year.

The Kampala declaration tasks African countries with working towards six strategic commitments and 22 measurable targets.  The targets outlined in this declaration include increasing agrifood output by 45%, tripling intra-African trade in agricultural goods, cutting post-harvest losses in half and mobilising $100 billion in investment in African agrifood systems.

They also include reducing extreme poverty by 50% and ensuring that African countries reinvest 15% of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, and placing at least 30% of agricultural land under sustainable management.

The Kampala Declaration also calls for putting an end to hunger on the continent, allocation of at least 10% of annual public expenditure to agrifood systems and raising the share of locally processed food to 35% of agrifood GDP.

As agricultural sector leaders from across Africa gather in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 21^st CAADP partnership meeting from 29^th to 31^st October, the spotlight has been placed on both CAADP and the 16^th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security.

While this goes on, partners in Uganda also organised an inaugural Food and Nutrition Security marketplace in Kamuli on Tuesday. The following day, we witnessed the release of the 2025 Food Security and Nutrition Assessment Report at a ceremony that was presided over by Animal Industry State Minister Bright Rwamirama in Kampala.

The trend in these events points to renewed focus on nutrition, which influences the contribution of individuals to the collective drive for economic development.

The need for more effort in promoting nutrition was highlighted in the keynote speech delivered by Moses Vilakati, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, on Wednesday.

Vilakati called upon stakeholders to reinforce the fight against hunger and malnutrition, noting that more than 280 million Africans face hunger today, nearly one in five children is stunted due to chronic malnutrition, and the continent accounts for over half of the global increase in undernourishment.

Vilakati’s call is aligned with three other targets in the Kampala declaration. Reducing stunting by 25%, cutting wasting by 25% and ensuring that 60% of the population can afford a healthy diet.

As this decade comes to a close, Africa’s projected growth rates, as seen through the 2025 African Economic Outlook from the African Development Bank Group, are expected to surpass the global average, with 21 countries exceeding 5% growth by the end of 2025.

While this implies that Africa is achieving higher growth, an opportunity now lies in ensuring that the economic returns are reflected in the diets and health of individuals as we traverse the next decade.

Targeted investment and promotion of more nutrition-sensitive programmes could be Africa’s best bet in achieving the status that is envisaged in the Kampala declaration.

The writer is an Agricultural Economist and Senior Communications Officer Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) Government of the Republic of Uganda