The African Union has unveiled a new $100 billion strategy to increase food production in the face of increasing threats from climate change related disasters across the continent of 1.4 billion people.

The initiative is part of the Kampala Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan (2026 – 2035), which seeks to increase food production by 45 percent, triple intra-African trade in farm produce, and slash post-harvest losses by half.

In an update released from South Africa, Uganda's Minister for Agriculture who also serves as the chair of AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture Fred Bwino, said this is the third in a series of CAADP strategies.

The first initiative was espoused in the Maputo Declaration in 2003, while the second in the Malabo Declaration in 2014, and now the CAADP Kampala Declaration 2025. CAADP is perhaps the continent’s most ambitious and comprehensive agricultural reform effort ever envisaged.

According to Bwino, Bwino the responsibility for leading the implementation lies squarely with governments and continental institutions need to play the broader coordination and monitoring role, involving more critical stakeholders at all stages.

"There are key CAADP aspects such as market opening, infrastructure development or pest and disease control that are better managed through inter-country collaboration, hence the need for Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to play the lead role," stated Bwino.

On his part, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), H.E. Moses Vilakati, said that the new CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2036 marks a significant shift towards agrifood systems transformation. 

“We recognize that agriculture is not just about production, but about creating a holistic system that encompasses production, processing, distribution, and consumption. It also envisions sustainable and resilient agri-food systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa,” he said. 

“Through this strategic document, the continent has been offered a springboard to create greater coherence in the bid to drive nature-positive agricultural production systems that will support ecosystem restoration and bio-diversity gain,” Commissioner Vilakati explained.

At the moment, up to Africa is home to nine of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, and AU Member states are already diverting up to nine per cent of their national budgets to respond to climate extremes.

John Steenhuisen, South Africa's Minister of Agriculture, called on leaders on the continent to invest and uphold commitments made to a continent-wide plan that will see the continent feed itself in a decade.

Hon Steenhuisen said the continent must eliminate distortions and resolve market failures hindering technology adoption as part of efforts to enhance agricultural growth and productivity while increasing the level and efficiency of farm investments for a broader impact.

"The agrifood system requires innovative technologies to adapt suitably to local social conditions and be updated in response to environmental factors, such as the co-evolution of pests and diseases, degradation of water and land resources, and climate change," Steenhuisen said.

[email protected]