Luanda - The mobilization of more investments for agriculture and the renewal of the commitment to allocate 10% of annual budgets to the sector are among the main objectives of the next extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU), set to take place from the 9th to the 11th of the current month, in capital of Uganda, Kampala.
The event expected the participation of heads of state and government from AU member states, foreign and agriculture ministers, experts, as well as representatives of regional organizations, youth, women, civil society, academics and development partners.
The summit, which focuses on the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), will culminate in the adoption of the Kampala Declaration on the creation of resilient and sustainable agri-food systems on the continent.
According to the Draft Declaration to be presented at the meeting, which will include the participation of Angola, African leaders intend to mobilize at least USD 100 billion in investments for African agri-food systems by 2035.
The document will be presented by the Ugandan minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, as chairman of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment.
Regarding the expenditure, the aim is, in addition to the target of 10% of annual budgets allocated to agriculture, to ensure that at least 15% of the agri-food Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is reinvested annually in the sector.
To achieve these objectives, the Kampala meeting will recommend, among other actions, the increase in public and private investments in the transformation of agri-food systems in African countries, which promote sustainable growth and innovation.
Member States of the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) will be invited to integrate the Kampala Declaration into their investment plans in agri-food systems, until 2028, adopting the best governance practices in the matter based on the CAADP principles.
The preparatory work for the Kampala summit, at the level of heads of state and government, begins with a ministerial meeting of those holding the Agriculture portfolio followed by another joint meeting with the Foreign ministers.
The first will feature, in the opening session, an intervention by the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, the Angolan diplomat Josefa Sacko.
During the plenary session, minister Frank Tumwebaze, from the host country, will present a CAADP Ten-Year Strategy and Action Plan that describes the strategic axes for the transformation of agri-food systems in Africa over the next 10 years.
CAADP is a continental Agenda 2063 initiative that aims to help African countries eliminate hunger and reduce poverty by increasing economic growth through development led by agriculture.
From Maputo to Kampala
Presented as a fundamental structure to transform agriculture across Africa, the Program was launched in 2003 with the Maputo Declaration in which African heads of State and Government have committed, for the first time, to allocating 10% of expenditure public access to agriculture.
The objective at the time was to achieve an annual growth rate of 6% in the agricultural GDP of African countries.
In 2014, the Malabo Declaration reinforced these commitments and added more targets to be achieved by 2025, including ending hunger, halving poverty, tripling intra-African agricultural trade and building resilience.
However, it was found that progress has been insufficient, due to the conclusions of the CAADP fourth biennial review report, presented to the AU Assembly in February 2024.
The heads of State and Government gathered in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and headquarters of the AU, considered that the continent is not on the right path to achieving the goals and objectives set out in Malabo by 2025.
The report therefore highlighted the urgency of developing a post-Malabo agenda focused on building resilient, inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems for the 2025-2035 decade.
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