Kampala Declaration: Africa’s Agri-Food Transformation

Why in News? 

Kampala Declaration: Recently, the Extraordinary African Union Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) took place in Kampala, Uganda. During this summit, African leaders adopted the Kampala Declaration for the transformation of Africa’s agri-food systems. 

Key Highlights of African Union Summit 2025:

• Kampala Declaration adopted for transforming Africa’s agri-food systems from 2026 to 2035.
• The CAADP action plan for the next decade focuses on building sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
• The summit replaced the Malabo Declaration.
• African leaders endorsed climate-smart innovations to address food security in the face of climate change.
• The African Union has set ambitious targets to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
• The new strategy aims to overcome challenges like food insecurity, climate change, and economic disruptions.
• The summit emphasized the need for policy integration across agriculture, nutrition, and economic development.
• Participation included leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia, Angola, Burundi, and Somalia.

Overview of Kampala Declaration 

The Kampala Declaration consists of several key agreements addressing critical issues related to Africa. This aligns with the broader goal of achieving Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous, integrated, and peaceful Africa. This outlines a roadmap for transformation, with clear implementation and monitoring strategies to guide progress. 

• Key components of the Kampala Declaration:

  • Agri-Food Systems Transformation: Aimed at addressing food security and agricultural challenges, the declaration stresses the importance of building resilient food systems capable of withstanding climate change and economic shocks. This transformation integrates sustainable practices across the food value chain.
  • Climate Change and Migration: The Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change calls for urgent action to mitigate the impacts of climate change. It highlights the need to support vulnerable communities.
  • Human Development and Societal Transformation: The Kampala Declaration also draws attention to political, economic, and human development. It reaffirms the commitment to eliminating poverty, ignorance, and disease by promoting social equity and sustainable growth.
  • Support for the International Criminal Court: In addition to socio-economic issues, the declaration expresses support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to encourage continued cooperation with the Court to ensure justice and accountability in Africa.
  • The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) was launched by the African Union (AU) in 2003. 

• It is part of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). 
• Its goal is to enhance food security, nutrition, and incomes across Africa by addressing the challenges in the agricultural sector.
• The program is built on principles such as ownership, participation, and evidence-based decision-making.
• The program works to harmonize policies across African nations.
• Goals:
  • Increase Agricultural Productivity: One of the primary aims of CAADP is to boost agricultural productivity across Africa.
  • Increase Public Investment in Agriculture: CAADP advocates for a significant rise in government investments to promote agricultural growth.
  • Stimulate Economic Growth: By focusing on the agricultural sector, CAADP aims to drive economic growth, particularly through increased agricultural output.
  • Budget and Growth Targets: CAADP sets ambitious targets to achieve 6% annual agricultural productivity growth.

The Evolution of CAADP

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has undergone significant transformations since its inception in 2003. The program has been shaped by some declarations to set clear goals for agricultural transformation across Africa.

• The Maputo Declaration: In 2003, the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa officially launched the CAADP. The declaration called for African governments to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture.
• The Malabo Declaration: In 2014, the Malabo Declaration was adopted by African Heads of State, reaffirming their commitment to the CAADP and setting more ambitious targets for the agricultural sector. The Malabo Declaration targeted goals that aligned with the SDGs, focusing on poverty reduction and sustainable agricultural growth. The Malabo Declaration established a more expansive vision for Africa’s agricultural future, with the end of the agenda set for 2025.
• The Post-Malabo Agenda: The Post-Malabo Agenda was adopted in January 2025, ushers in a new phase of agricultural transformation in Africa, aiming to boost the continent’s agri-food output by 45% by 2035. A key goal is to increase regional trade, leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to ensure the free movement of agricultural goods and services across borders.

Significance of the Kampala Declaration in Africa

• Climate Change: Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change that directly impacts migration patterns. The Kampala Declaration emphasizes addressing these challenges through adaptive strategies and improved human mobility management.
• Food Security for a Growing Population: By 2050, Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion. The declaration outlines a roadmap to ensure food security for this rapidly growing population 
• Internal Displacement: According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s 2023 report, over 7.5 million new instances of internal displacement were recorded in one year alone. Without intervention, the number of displaced people in Africa could rise to 105 million. The Kampala Declaration aims to address these internal migration and displacement issues by strengthening resilience-building initiatives across the continent.
• Persistent Hunger and Malnutrition: Despite efforts, Africa continues to face high hunger rates, with 20.4% of the population suffering from food insecurity, according to the FAO. The Kampala Declaration stresses combating malnutrition and improving nutritional security.
• On Track for Resilience: As of 2023, only two countries were on track to meet resilience-building targets. The declaration calls for accelerated efforts to strengthen resilience in the face of both climate and socio-economic challenges.
• Commitment to Meeting Key Targets: The 2024 Biennial Review Report highlighted that Africa is still off-track in meeting critical commitments, such as ending hunger by 2025. The Kampala Declaration seeks to bring renewed focus and effort to meet these ambitious goals by 2035.

Explore our Books: https://apnipathshala.com/product-category/books/

Explore Our test Series: https://tests.apnipathshala.com/