Kampala - The African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Sacko, defended on Thursday, in Kampala, Uganda, better use of the Strategy and Action Plan (2026- 2035) of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP).
Speaking about the Extraordinary African Union Summit on CAADP, which began today in the Ugandan capital, the Angolan diplomat highlighted the benefit, by Member States, in guiding the process of transforming agriculture on the continent.
She stated that he hopes that the Kampala summit will change the narrative towards achieving food security, “taking countries to levels of food sovereignty”.
“Due to the geopolitical crisis we are experiencing, we hope that the 2026-2035 strategy and action plan is a strategy that we will align within the scope of our national investment plans”, he said.
According to Josefa Sacko, it is necessary to align the indicators, with a view to correcting limiting aspects, especially linked to investments and reforms in the sector.
She mentioned that there were problems such as weak investment and little appreciation in value chains.
As for the country, the AU commissioner recalled that the Angolan economy was once based mainly on agriculture and said she believes that the CAADP strategy and action plan allows the country to take advantage of the values it has and take advantages.
She considered it essential to reinforce the instinct for resilient community terms in the face of climate change problems, highlighting that Angola can take advantage of the global alliance against hunger and poverty as it is a “tool” capable of reinforcing South-South cooperation.
In this context, he added, “the country has regular cooperation with Brazil, one of the five largest producers, so it could benefit more from it, especially in the field of applied agricultural research and technology transfer”.
Created in 2003, the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Agriculture in Africa (CAADP) has been a fundamental framework for the transformation of agriculture in Africa, through the Maputo declaration, where African heads of State and Government committed to allocate at least 10% of public expenditure to the sector to achieve an annual growth rate of 6% in agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The program is implemented through the development of national agricultural plans, the establishment of regional pacts and the mobilization of resources for the progress of the sector, among other processes.
Throughout this period, the program allowed a series of actions to be carried out, aiming to accelerate its implementation, with emphasis, among others, on NEPAD workshops, having covered the review of the CAADP implementation guidelines, seminars and different work meetings , including with development partners.
The retreat of the permanent secretaries of agriculture and the 12th CAADP partnership platform, both held in 2016, in Ghana, are also some of the references.
The Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) on the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) began this Thursday, in Kampala, Uganda, to define a strategy for the continent's agricultural transformation.
The event runs until the 11th, at the Speke Resort Conference Center, promoted by the AU Commission, with the Government of Uganda, and aims to mobilize more investments for agriculture and renew the commitment of African countries to allocate, at least least 10% of their national budgets to the sector.
The program reserves joint meetings between the heads of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment and the ministers of Foreign Affairs, and should culminate, on Saturday, with the conference of heads of State and Government, which will adopt the Kampala Declaration on creating resilient and sustainable agri-food systems in Africa. HM/VC/DOJ
