AU unveils ambitious agricultural blueprint

The African Union (AU) has officially launched the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) strategy and action plan 2026–2035 alongside the Kampala Declaration, marking a landmark event for African agriculture.The programme aims to enhance food production, increase agricultural trade and reduce post-harvest losses across the continent.The gathering, held in Johannesburg recently, brought together ministers, development partners, civil society organisations and farmer representatives.AU commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy and sustainable environment, Moses Vilakati, emphasised the importance of agriculture in Africa’s development during the event. "We recognise that agriculture is not just about production but about creating a holistic system that encompasses production, processing, distribution and consumption," he said. Nardos Bekele, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, called for broad stakeholder engagement in implementing the AU strategy.“The success of this plan depends on the active involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and smallholder farmers,” Bekele stressed.The CAADP programme builds on previous commitments, including the Maputo (2003) and Malabo (2014) declarations, and sets out six strategic objectives: scaling up sustainable food production, agro-industrialisation and trade; increasing investment and financing for agri-food systems transformation; ensuring food and nutrition security; promoting inclusivity and equitable livelihoods; strengthening resilience; and improving governance across agri-food systems.The Kampala Declaration reaffirms the continent’s commitment to building resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. It calls for increased investment, stronger agricultural extension services and greater farmer engagement.Boost the value chainSouth Africa’s minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen, meanwhile highlighted the importance of intra-African trade, transformative programming for smallholder farmers and the adoption of digital technologies as cornerstones for agricultural progress.Speaking to a Network Media Hub journalist on the sidelines of the event, Steenhuisen said Namibia and other countries could adopt the value-chain approach through an agriculture–agro-processing master plan, similar to the one implemented in his own country.“The master plan focuses on access for small-scale farmers into value chains. We have subsistence farmers that we want to move to small-scale farmers, and small-scale farmers into commercial farmers. The aim is to move people up the value chain because when they grow, they create jobs and grow the economy,” he said.- tuyeimo@nmh-hub.com.na

AU unveils ambitious agricultural blueprint

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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AU unveils ambitious agricultural blueprint

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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