African Union Summit in Kampala Urges Action to Boost Agriculture

Summary:

• The African Union’s agriculture summit in Kampala focuses on accelerating development through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). Leaders call for action on food security, climate resilience, and reducing Africa’s dependence on food imports. A new 10-year strategy is set to address challenges and boost the continent’s agri-food systems.

---

An extraordinary African Union (AU) summit on agriculture opened Thursday in Kampala, Uganda, as experts and leaders aim to accelerate development in the sector. The three-day event will review the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), a blueprint to transform agriculture across the continent.

Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, inaugurating the summit, called for collective action to implement policy proposals. “It’s deplorable that Africa, with vast arable land and water resources, depends on food imports. This summit must chart a path for Africa to feed itself,” she emphasized.

The summit’s theme, “Building Resilient Agri-Food Systems,” underscores the need for innovative agricultural practices and climate-resilient strategies. Frank Tumwebaze, Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, pledged a decade-long action plan to achieve CAADP goals, launched in 2003 as part of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minister Girma Amente highlighted the sector’s vital role in sustaining the continent’s population amid climate challenges. AU Agriculture Commissioner Josefa Sacko presented a draft strategy for approval, developed after a 2024 AU report revealed no member state had met the Malabo CAADP targets.

With over 70% of Africans relying on agriculture for their livelihoods, leaders aim to ensure food security and economic resilience for the continent’s future.