Kampala Declaration

The Kampala Declaration is a landmark policy framework adopted by the African Union (AU) in January 2025 during a summit held in Kampala, Uganda. It establishes a new decade-long vision (2026–2035) for transforming Africa’s agrifood systems under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The declaration builds upon earlier commitments such as the Maputo Declaration (2003) and the Malabo Declaration (2014), but expands their scope to include nutrition, resilience, and inclusivity as central pillars of agricultural development.

Background and Context

The African Union initiated the CAADP framework in 2003 to accelerate agricultural growth, food security, and poverty reduction across the continent. The Maputo Declaration required member states to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture, while the Malabo Declaration of 2014 introduced measurable goals for ending hunger and halving poverty by 2025.
By 2025, African leaders recognised that achieving sustainable growth required shifting from a narrow focus on agricultural productivity to a broader agri-food systems approach, integrating production, processing, trade, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. The Kampala Declaration thus represents the third phase of CAADP, aligning agricultural transformation with the AU’s long-term Agenda 2063 vision.

Objectives and Vision

The Kampala Declaration envisions a sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and competitive African agri-food system capable of feeding the continent’s growing population while generating employment, income, and trade. It aims to:

• Strengthen the productivity and profitability of agriculture.
• Promote value addition and intra-African trade in food products.
• Enhance food and nutrition security for all citizens.
• Build resilience to climate, economic, and social shocks.
• Ensure equitable participation of women, youth, and marginalised groups in agrifood systems.
• Mobilise investment and innovation for long-term sustainability.

Major Commitments

The Kampala Declaration outlines six major commitments to be implemented between 2026 and 2035:
1. Enhancing Sustainable Production, Agro-industrialisation, and TradeMember states commit to increase agricultural productivity through sustainable land management, irrigation, and mechanisation. The declaration emphasises value addition, local processing, and reducing post-harvest losses by at least half by 2035. It also seeks to triple intra-African trade in food, feed, and agricultural inputs through harmonised policies and regional cooperation.
2. Strengthening Investment and FinancingGovernments reaffirm the principle of dedicating at least 10% of annual public expenditure to agriculture and related sectors, while leveraging private investment and financial innovations such as agricultural insurance, green bonds, and blended finance mechanisms.
3. Achieving Food and Nutrition SecurityThe declaration aims to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by ensuring year-round access to affordable and nutritious food. It sets measurable goals to reduce stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies, and to increase the share of locally produced and processed foods in national consumption.
4. Promoting Inclusivity and Equitable LivelihoodsThe Kampala Declaration prioritises the empowerment of women and youth, who form the majority of Africa’s agricultural workforce. It calls for closing gender yield gaps, supporting agripreneurship, and creating inclusive value chains that benefit smallholder farmers and rural communities.
5. Building Climate-resilient and Sustainable Agrifood SystemsClimate change adaptation and environmental sustainability are central to the new framework. The declaration encourages the adoption of climate-smart agriculture, soil conservation, water-use efficiency, and biodiversity protection. It also promotes renewable energy in food processing and value chain operations.
6. Strengthening Governance and AccountabilityTo ensure transparency and measurable progress, member states pledge to establish stronger institutions, data systems, and monitoring mechanisms. They will align the Kampala Declaration with their National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) and Regional Agricultural Investment Plans (RAIPs). Regular peer reviews under the Biennial Review Mechanism will assess progress.

Implementation Framework

The declaration will be operationalised through the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035), which outlines specific targets, investment priorities, and performance indicators. Implementation will be coordinated by the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank (AfDB), regional economic communities (RECs), and member states.
Key milestones include:

• Increasing Africa’s agrifood output by 45% by 2035.
• Reducing post-harvest losses by 50%.
• Raising the share of locally processed food to 35% of agrifood GDP.
• Expanding intra-African agricultural trade by 300%.
• Improving food security indicators across all regions.

The declaration encourages integration with initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Africa Climate Change Strategy, ensuring policy coherence across trade, environment, and food systems.

Significance and Expected Impact

The Kampala Declaration marks a significant evolution in Africa’s agricultural agenda. Its importance lies in its comprehensive and inclusive approach, moving beyond primary production to address the entire food value chain — from farm to fork.
Major expected impacts include:

• Improved productivity and income for smallholder farmers.
• Greater food self-sufficiency, reducing dependency on imports.
• Expansion of agro-industrial capacity, leading to job creation and rural development.
• Enhanced resilience against climate shocks and global market disruptions.
• Empowerment of women and youth through targeted policy support.

By integrating sustainability, nutrition, and equity, the declaration seeks to transform Africa into a global hub for sustainable food systems by 2035.

Challenges in Implementation

While ambitious, the success of the Kampala Declaration depends on addressing several key challenges:

• Financing gaps in national agricultural budgets and infrastructure.
• Weak institutional capacity to enforce governance and accountability mechanisms.
• Climate vulnerability, which continues to threaten agricultural productivity.
• Limited access to technology and markets for smallholders.
• Coordination difficulties among diverse regional and national agencies.

Addressing these challenges requires stronger regional cooperation, enhanced data systems, and partnerships between governments, private sectors, and civil society organisations.

Relevance in Continental and Global Context

The Kampala Declaration aligns closely with continental and global frameworks, including:

• Agenda 2063 – “The Africa We Want,” which envisions a prosperous and food-secure continent.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Paris Agreement – supporting climate-resilient agricultural development.

It represents Africa’s collective effort to lead a transition toward sustainable agri-food systems that are productive, inclusive, and environmentally sound.