The African Union (AU) has adopted a new agricultural development strategy aimed at increasing agrifood output by 45% by 2035. This strategy, part of the newly approved 10-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan, was endorsed during the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in Kampala, Uganda. The plan seeks to transform Africa’s agri-food systems and achieve food security within the next decade.

The Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa outlines six key commitments to strengthen the continent’s agricultural sector. Recognizing Africa’s projected population growth to 2.5 billion by 2050, the strategy prioritizes sustainable food production, agro-industrialization, and trade.

Key targets include reducing post-harvest loss by 50%, tripling intra-African trade in agrifood products by 2035, and raising the share of locally processed food to 35% of agrifood GDP. The strategy sets a foundation for transforming Africa’s agri-food systems and fostering collective action.

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni highlighted the importance of value addition and the elimination of non-tariff barriers to advance agricultural development. “This Africa of having no food and begging is not the real Africa. Adding value to agricultural products ensures vertical integration in the sector—from the garden to the table,” Museveni said.

AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat acknowledged progress under the Malabo Declaration but expressed concerns over its slow pace. He emphasized the preparatory work leading to the Kampala Declaration as a critical step in addressing systemic challenges in Africa’s agriculture.

Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie called for renewed commitment to a food-sovereign and prosperous Africa, stating, “This Summit marks a defining moment for Africa, where we chart out the course of the continent’s agri-food system.”

AU Commissioner Amb. Josefa Sacko emphasized that the Kampala declaration is distinct in its detailed strategy and action plan, providing a roadmap for immediate implementation. “This ensures that the continent is well-prepared to work towards the agriculture transformation vision outlined in Agenda 2063,” Sacko added.

Norway’s State Minister Bjørg Sandkjær lauded the strategy’s alignment with Africa’s aspirations for inclusive development and resilience under the AU Agenda 2063 framework.

From left to right: The African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda and H.E. Joao Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola and First Vice Chair of the African Union at the opening ceremony of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government of the African Union in Kampala, Uganda on January 11, 2025.

H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda and H.E. Joao Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola and First Vice Chair of the African Union at the opening ceremony of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government of the African Union in Kampala, Uganda on January 11, 2025.

H.E. Lourenco read the adopted Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa, which will be implemented from 2026 to 2035.

H.E. Joao Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola and First Vice Chair of the African Union at the opening ceremony of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of States and Government of the African Union in Kampala, Uganda on January 11, 2025. H.E. Lourenco read the adopted Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa, which will be implemented from 2026 to 2035.