The Kampala Declaration, which was adopted at the Extraordinary AU Summit in Kampala, Uganda, in January this year is being seen as the silver bullet towards the realisation of the transformation of Africa’s food systems.
The Director of Programme Implementation and Coordination at AUDA-NEPAD Estherine Fotabong says the Kampala Declaration on CAADP (2025) which is the continental framework, is aligning the transformation of Africa’s food systems to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 of the African Union, “with renewed urgency and collective purpose, to drive transformation of Africa’s agrifood systems into engines of resilience, inclusion, sustainability, and prosperity.”
The Kampala declaration that outlines a new 10-year strategy and action plan (2026-2035) for transforming Africa’s agri-food systems, aims to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods, while also promoting sustainable agricultural practices and intra-African trade.
Fotabong who spoke at the High-Level Opening of the Africa Regional UN Food Systems Summit+4 (UNFSS+4) Preparatory Meeting in Nairobi said the Kampala document and its accompanying Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) “mark a shift from agriculture-led growth to a comprehensive agrifood systems approach, anchored in climate resilience, nutrition security, and inclusive livelihoods.”
She noted that four years after the inaugural UN Food Systems Summit, Africa has taken decisive steps including: commitment to increasing agrifood output by 45%, reducing post-harvest losses by 50%, and trippling intra-African trade by 2035, in alignment with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The other commitments are; Promoting inclusivity by closing the gender productivity gap by 50% and empowering at least 30% of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in agrifood value chains as well as enhancing climate resilience by ensuring that 30% of agricultural land is under sustainable management and that 40% of households are protected from climate and economic shocks by 2035.
“We must urgently address hunger, malnutrition, climate volatility, conflict-driven displacement, and fragmented food value chains, while investing in capacities at every level to drive implementation,” said the Director of Programs at AUDA-NEPAD.
While calling for inclusive and transparent governance, Fotabong said that accountability “remains central to CAADP and our broader food systems agenda,” adding that the CAADP mutual accountability framework through the Biennial Review process, provides a valuable mechanism to track progress and identify areas for action.
She called for elevation of multi-stakeholder engagement “ensuring that smallholders farmers, women, youth, and indigenous communities are central to policy design and implementation,” urging member states to strengthen private sector leadership, including through the Kampala Declaration’s proposal to establish a private sector-led Agrifood Systems Advisory Council.
While noting that harnessing data and digital technologies in promoting evidence-based policymaking can aid in closing the information gap in agriculture and food systems governance, Fotabong added that, “transforming Africa’s food systems will require an estimated US$100 billion in public and private investments by 2035,” she said and added, “To realize this, we must: Mobilize climate-sensitive and inclusive financing that prioritizes smallholders and de-risks investment through concessional funding and risk-sharing facilities; Invest in regional value chains, including agro-industrial corridors, post-harvest infrastructure, and trade facilitation aligned with AfCFTA; and Explore innovative finance mechanisms such as diaspora bonds, green finance instruments, and blended financing models to crowd in investment for agrifood SMEs.”
Fotabong said that as the continent prepares the UNFSS+4 Stocktaking Moment, to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July this year, there is need to anchor deliberations on three core pillars of: Accelerating implementation of CAADP and the Kampala Declaration by aligning national agrifood systems pathways and investment priorities; Scaling up success by showcasing regional innovations, from biofortified crops and regenerative agriculture to AI-assisted extension services and Fostering convergence across sectors and ecosystems, integrating blue and green economies, climate commitments (COP30), biodiversity frameworks, and Africa’s 2035 Zero Hunger ambition.
