African leaders endorse CAADP 10-Year strategy to strengthen agriculture, nutrition security

AFRICA – African leaders have officially endorsed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan for the next decade, setting the stage for a transformative approach to food security and nutrition across the continent.

Adopted at the Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo CAADP, held in Kampala, Uganda, from January 9 to 11, 2025, the new strategy aims to address Africa’s most pressing agricultural challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, and the impacts of climate change.

The CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2035 highlights a systems approach to agricultural development that integrates food security, climate resilience, and nutrition, while recognizing the interconnectivity of the continent’s agrifood system.

The initiative aligns with the African Union’s broader goals for sustainable growth and prosperity, building on previous efforts to boost agricultural productivity and reduce food insecurity. Currently, over 280 million Africans experience chronic hunger, and addressing these critical needs is a central focus of the strategy.

Hon. Neema Lugangira, Member of Parliament for Tanzania and Ex-officio Lead Group member of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, emphasized the importance of a collective approach to transforming Africa’s food systems.

 “Africa’s agricultural development, including food and nutrition security, is a whole-of-society endeavour, and the post-Malabo CAADP strategy is based on all actors throughout the agrifood system coming together to play their part,” she said.

Lugangira highlighted the significant role of the SUN Movement, noting that Tanzania’s success in driving nutrition-sensitive agriculture has made it a model for other African nations.

Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), called attention to the vital role of livestock in Africa’s agrifood system.

“Livestock embody this complexity. In Africa, livestock are critical for food security, health, and nutrition, and also have co-benefits for climate adaptation and resilience,” he remarked.

Djikeng emphasized that livestock remain a cornerstone of the new CAADP strategy, contributing to sustainable agricultural systems across the continent.

Kefilwe Moalosi, Senior Nutrition and Food Safety Programme Officer at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA), welcomed the strategy’s prioritization of nutrition security for the first time in CAADP’s history.

Moalosi underscored the need for a holistic approach that ensures nutritional needs are met at every level of the agri-food value chain, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and new mothers.

On his part, Mandla Nkomo, CEO of Partners in Food Solutions, emphasized the importance of developing all aspects of Africa’s food systems, particularly the processing sector.

“The shift to a broader focus on agri-food systems in this latest edition of the CAADP strategy through the Kampala Declaration is a visionary step toward unlocking the continent’s full food production potential,” he said, stressing that investing in food processing will create jobs, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance the economic prospects of smallholder farmers and local communities.

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