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Key takeaways from 3-day African Union summit

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President Museveni signs on the Kampala Declaration and the 2026 to 2035 Strategy and Action Plan, which both aim at building sustainable and resilient food systems in Africa in Kampala on January 11, 2025. PHOTO/PPU

Officials from 49 African Union member states, including presidents, who attended the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) have resolved to develop and facilitate resilient systems to boost food security on the continent.

The resolution stems from a February 2024 session of the Assembly of the African Union that was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

During that session, there were concerns that Africa was not on track in meeting the Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) CAADP goals and targets by the end of this year, heads of state prompted a call for the development of an agenda to build resilient agri-food systems.

To assess the progress of countries following the session held last year, another AU meeting was held in Kampala from January 9 to 11, with the intention of discussing the post-Malabo CAADP agenda, endorsing the draft Kampala CAADP declaration as well as sanctioning the 2026 to 2035 CAADP Strategy and Action Plan.

Held under the theme, “sustainable and resilient agri-food systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa,” and held in Munyonyo, Kampala, the three-day event attracted more than 2,000 participants including Kenyan President William Ruto.

Key takeaways

President Museveni reminded other countries what Uganda has been able to do, from the 1960s, to achieve significant success in the agriculture sector.

Mr Museveni pointed out achievements like fully commercialising agriculture to achieve food security, having Ugandans add crops like palm oil, cocoa, and cashew nuts to the list of high-value crops that can give good incomes to families, and having the hospitality industry integrated with agriculture.

The President added that Ugandans had been able to transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, with scientists developing improved seeds, using fertilisers to restore nutrients in the soil, ensuring food safety against aflatoxins and sensitising farmers on the best agro-practices.

“With these measures, Africa will be a super-power, economically,” President Museveni said at the weekend.

He expressed hoped that non-tariff barriers would be resolved to boost agriculture.

AU member states stressed the importance of exploring innovative financing mechanisms including public-private partnerships to mobilise resources for agricultural investments.

The AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Ambassador Josefa Sacko, emphasised accountability and evidence-based decision-making, to transform Africa’s agricultural sector.

“As we move forward, I am filled with optimism that, through our collaborative efforts, we will realise the ambitious goals that have been set for the next decade,” she said.

Angola’s President João Lourenço said African countries are still far from registering achievements from implementing the seven commitments relating to, “accelerated agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods,” which place the continent far from achieving the set-out objectives in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

“We must find the necessary consensus to approve a strategy and action plan for the integrated programme for the development of agriculture in Africa for the next 10 years (2026 to 2035) as well as the Kampala Declaration, which will in some way reinforce and renew the guidelines left by the heads of state at the Malabo summit,” he said.

Resolutions from the Kampala CAADP Declaration:

• Intensify sustainable food production, agro-industrialisation and trade.

• Boost financing for accelerated agri-food systems transformation.

• Ensure food and nutrition security.

• Advance inclusivity and equitable livelihood.

•AU member states, development partners, farmers, private sector, parliamentarians called to action.