Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, August 17, 2026 (FMC) — The African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have called for stronger implementation of the Kampala Declaration and Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) as Africa seeks to accelerate agri-food systems transformation and translate agricultural commitments into tangible results.
The call came today as IGAD, with support from the African Union Commission, the World Bank, AUDA-NEPAD and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), opened a two-day Regional Dialogue in Addis Ababa to review the performance and lessons of the Fifth Biennial Review of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
The dialogue brings together representatives of IGAD Member States, the African Union Commission, AUDA-NEPAD, technical institutions and development partners to assess progress under the Malabo Declaration and strengthen preparations for implementing the Kampala agenda.
Opening the dialogue, African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Moses Vilakati said Africa must now shift decisively from agricultural commitments and frameworks to implementation as the continent enters the Kampala era.
Vilakati said the Fifth Biennial Review, the final assessment of the 2015–2025 Malabo Declaration cycle, should serve primarily to extract lessons that can guide future action rather than keep Africa focused on the past.
He stressed that Africa has developed numerous declarations, strategies, policies and accountability mechanisms, but implementation remains the critical gap. Farmers need higher productivity, youth need jobs, governments need growth and citizens need tangible improvements in their livelihoods, he said.
Vilakati noted that Africa spends nearly USD 100 billion annually on food imports despite its vast agricultural potential, saying greater domestic production would create jobs, income, investment and opportunities for African farmers, entrepreneurs, women and youth.
He said the Kampala Declaration sets ambitious targets for 2035, including increasing agri-food output by 45 percent, tripling intra-African trade in agri-food products, reducing post-harvest losses by 50 percent, mobilizing at least USD 100 billion in public and private investment, halving extreme poverty and allocating at least 10 percent of public expenditure to agri-food systems development.
Vilakati also outlined a 100-Day Rolling Plan focused on accelerating production, productivity and nutrition, with priorities including soil-health mapping, conservation of productive indigenous seed varieties through gene banks and regional fertilizer-blending facilities.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government of Ethiopia, Zena Habtewold, Senior Advisor to Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture and the country’s CAADP Focal Person, said sustainable agri-food systems transformation is fundamental to food security, climate resilience and economic stability.
Zena said Ethiopia has been aligning its agricultural development efforts with continental CAADP priorities through successive national plans and investment frameworks and has now begun further work to domesticate the Kampala agenda.
He said a multisectoral national agri-food systems technical committee has been established, bringing together relevant ministries, the private sector and technical partners including IFPRI, ILRI and AGRA. Ethiopia is also implementing more than 60 projects and programmes, with annual investments exceeding USD 160 million, including major commodity value-chain development initiatives.
Zena said Ethiopia is preparing a new 10-year multisectoral investment plan aligned with the Kampala Declaration, while a three-year agricultural plan has also been developed following a review of the country’s 10-year development direction.
He cited irrigated wheat production, the Green Legacy Initiative and cluster-based farming among Ethiopia’s agricultural transformation efforts, saying the experiences are increasingly being shared with other African countries. He also noted that Ethiopia’s forest cover has risen from 17.3 percent to more than 23 percent, highlighting broad public mobilization behind the progress.
Zena said Ethiopia will continue expanding wheat and livestock development, developing strategies and programmes, mobilizing resources and strengthening monitoring, support and joint reviews to ensure agricultural projects deliver results according to their timelines.
Representing IGAD’s Agriculture and Environment Division, Dr. Sylvia Henga said the region must critically examine why food insecurity continues to rise despite sustained investments and policy commitments under the Malabo framework.
The Fifth Biennial Review shows that the IGAD region remains below the required trajectory for achieving the Malabo commitments despite progress in several thematic areas. More than 63 million people were estimated to be food insecure in 2024, while more than eight million children were affected by malnutrition.
Henga said climate shocks, prolonged droughts, degraded soils, fragmented markets, invasive species, conflict, forced displacement and continued dependence on rainfed agriculture are compounding the region’s food-security challenges.
She called for a systems-based approach integrating agriculture with climate, nutrition, technology, financing and other sectors, stressing that early-warning information and new technologies must reach farmers and communities at the last mile.
Henga also urged greater irrigation efficiency, stronger agricultural data systems, investment in resilience and green technologies, improved mutual accountability and measures to address fertilizer disruptions, including regional reserves and alternative trade corridors.
She said the findings of the Fifth Biennial Review should inform national agricultural investment plans and evidence-based policymaking as countries transition to the Kampala framework.
The two-day dialogue will review regional and national performance under the Fifth CAADP Biennial Review, identify achievements and persistent challenges, assess trends across thematic areas and develop recommendations to strengthen implementation of the Kampala Declaration.
The dialogue will also contribute to refining regional guidance for domestication of the Kampala Strategy and Action Plan and strengthening coordination, financing, accountability and performance tracking at national and regional levels.