Nardos Bekele Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), called for bold action to make Africa the world’s agricultural leader.
Speaking at the official launch of the new Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Plan (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) and Kampala Declaration in Johannesburg, South Africa, she said: “The future of our continent depends on united action, from seed to plate and from farm to global market.”
“With 60% of the world’s uncultivated land, a vibrant youth and rich biodiversity, Africa is poised to become a global agricultural leader. But potential alone is not enough; we need determined collaboration, innovation and investment,” she added.
Ms. Bekele-Thomas said African governments are committed to implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other strategies to accelerate agricultural transformation efforts on the continent.
“We will accelerate the full implementation of the AfCFTA to boost intra-African trade, sustain the Infrastructure Development Program for Africa (PIDA) and its catalytic investments, and fast-track the post-Malabo biennial review to sharpen our policy compass,” she announced.
“We have seen youth-led agritech innovation flourish and regional value chains develop under our collective stewardship,” she said.
African heads of state and governments held an extraordinary post-Malabo CAADP summit in January this year in Kampala, Uganda.
The summit adopted the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) to guide the transformation of the agricultural sector over the next decade, and an accompanying consensus document known as the Kampala 2025 Declaration.
Over the past two decades, CAADP has been the foundational framework driving agricultural transformation across Africa.
Launched in 2003 in response to the Maputo Declaration and reaffirmed in the Malabo Declaration in 2014, CAADP has contributed to increasing agricultural GDP, raising average incomes, improving agricultural production, increasing trade in agricultural products, increasing investment, and reducing hunger and poverty.
The Malabo Declaration expired 10 years later, at the end of 2024, and was replaced by the Kampala Declaration.
The newly adopted strategy emphasizes a food systems approach to addressing Africa’s complex agricultural needs, focusing on agro-processing, post-production and resilience to climate change.
We prioritize inclusivity, with a special focus on ensuring women, youth, and marginalized groups have access to resources and opportunities.
“Through the Kampala Declaration, leaders have set a clear path to building resilient, inclusive and climate-smart food through a system based on six strategic objectives spanning production, processing, market governance, nutrition and financing,” Ms Bekele-Thomas said at the launch on Monday.
“Today’s launch is not a destination or a ceremony. It is the ignition of a decade of acceleration,” she said.
“We will unleash the power of youth and women builders, not beneficiaries, through the $100 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Initiative and Skills for Africa Initiative, ensuring they gain land, financial and market linkages to advance rural entrepreneurship,” she said.
Representatives from key stakeholder groups called for commitment, action and long-term partnerships to ensure the strategy delivers tangible benefits for Africans. John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of South Africa, highlighted intra-African trade, transformative programs for smallholder farmers, knowledge creation and sharing, data-driven planning and the adoption of digital technologies as the basis for agricultural progress.
Dr Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of the African Forum for Agricultural Research (FARA), stressed the importance of science, innovation, education and capacity building in facilitating the implementation of the strategy. He said FARA stands ready to support the implementation of the Kampala Declaration with these appropriate tools to ensure success.
Ms Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of the East African Farmers Federation, said the African Union Commission had done well in involving farmers throughout the development of the Kampala Declaration and reaffirmed their commitment to its implementation. He called for a supportive policy environment, strengthened investment flows, strengthened extension systems and strengthened farmer engagement at the national level.
“You don’t want to be called to a meal when it’s ready,” she said. “We ask all partners to be honest, transparent and focused on what is achievable,” she added.
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