By Benadetta Chiwanda Mia:
In 2014, African nations including Malawi, signed the Malabo Declaration at the African Union Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to launch a decade-long implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) following the expiry of the 10-year Maputo implementation plan.
The Malabo Declaration aimed to achieve several goals by 2025, including ending hunger, tripling intra-African trade in agricultural goods and services, enhancing resilience of livelihoods and production systems and ensuring agriculture significantly contributes to poverty reduction.
However, with less than a year to go, many countries, including Malawi, are unlikely to meet these targets.
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The fourth CAADP Biennial Review (BR) report indicates that no country is on track to achieve the Malabo targets by next year.
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At the 20th CAADP event held from October 29 to November 1 in Harare, Zimbabwe, organisations, experts, non-State actors and country representatives convened to strategise on the future of agricultural development under the theme ‘Two Decades of CAADP Agenda: Cultivating the Nexus of Nutrition, Agri-food Systems, and Education for Africa’s Growth’.
Despite 20 years of CAADP efforts, challenges like food insecurity, high poverty levels, low productivity, malnutrition and stagnant economic activities persist across the continent. This raises critical questions about Africa’s missteps in achieving these goals, particularly among the youth, who comprise 60 percent of the population and face high unemployment rates.
Discussions at the 20th CAADP event highlighted the need for Africa to transition towards agri-food systems and strengthen policy governance, ensuring leaders fulfill their commitments genuinely.
Wepia Awal Adugwala, National President of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, stressed the importance of comprehensive policies, touting the CAADP framework as a blueprint for agricultural growth and development.
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“Africa cannot have so much fertile land yet continue to import over $35 billion worth of food annually. Comprehensive, not fragmented, policies are essential,” Adugwala stated.
Proper coordination, cohesive policy implementation, optimal use of fertile lands, adequate agricultural investment and leveraging technology for climate change mitigation are crucial for Africa’s progress.
One commitment member states made is addressing climate change effects. However, the question remains: how much investment has been made in this area?
Greenwell Matchaya, Senior Economist at the International Water Management Institute-IWMI / CGIAR, emphasised the need for a data-driven, evidence-based approach to track policy implementation and progress.
“The BR report is vital for policy discussions, helping maintain the visibility of Africa’s agricultural sector,” Matchaya said.
Matchaya highlighted that since 2016, the BR process has increased resource allocation awareness, improved resource targeting and inclusivity in policy processes, and spurred investments in critical agricultural areas.
“Once the Kampala Declaration is signed next year, the BR process will hopefully guide its implementation,” he added.
The Sadc region has lagged in achieving CAADP commitments, the 4th Biennial Review report indicated.
Muraka Makedi Makhura, a senior lecturer at Pretoria University and Sadc regional BR expert, noted that while the region failed to meet targets, countries like Zambia show progress in other areas.
“We see hope, with countries improving from past reports,” Makhura observed.
Makhura attributed regional success to process support and efficient data collection, citing the Ecowas region as the best-performing, despite most members still falling short of full target achievement.
Olawale Olayide from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, ascribed Ecowas’s success to regional cohesion and following the African Union roadmap.
“After report adoption, Ecowas debriefs state and regional leaders to develop improvement strategies,” Olayide detailed.
African Union Commission (AUC) Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Godfrey Bahiigwa, urged member states to increase investment in agri-food systems for improved nutrition, youth job creation, and enhanced equity.
“As we transition from Malabo to the post-Malabo Agenda, the focus shifts from an agricultural-led to an agri-food systems-led strategy,” Bahiigwa explained.
Non-state actors (NSAs) are crucial in implementing the CAADP agenda, enhancing programme delivery and accountability.
As Africa prepares for the next CAADP decade, co-Chair of the NSA group, Henry Augustus Roberts, stressed NSAs’ role in bridging government initiatives and local communities.
“NSAs must participate collectively in developing new agricultural investment plans,” Roberts urged.
Addressing the soil health crisis is another priority. Professor Richard Mkandawire, Africa Director of the Alliance for African Partnerships and Board Chair for Mwapata Institute in Malawi, highlighted significant soil nutrient loss due to erosion, calling for substantial investments in soil health and fertiliser access.
As Africa gears up for the Kampala Declaration in 2025, CAADP’s next decade aims to transition beyond agriculture to focus on the entire agri-food value chain, boosting food productivity and nutritional access.
This shift requires shifting from donor dependence and exploring innovative funding and mobilisation within Africa.
Stakeholders like NSAs must hold political leaders accountable, who in turn must demonstrate the political will to establish supportive policies. Faced with climate change’s devastating impacts, Africa must adopt climate-smart agriculture, agro-ecological farming, and technology innovations to transform agriculture, building the Africa we desire today.
