At the margins of the validation workshop of the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035), His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of Uganda held discussions with Her Excellency Ambassador Josefa Sacko the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment of the African Union and her delegation. The African Union (AU) delegation led by Ambassador Josefa Sacko and accompanied by Honourable Frank Tumwebaze, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of the Republic of Uganda met the president at State House Entebbe. The discussions, which was held 21-23 August 2024, focused on the preparations for Uganda to host the upcoming African Union Heads of State and Government Extraordinary Summit in Kampala, Uganda, from 9-11 January 2025.

The president welcomed Ambassador Sacko and the AU delegation to Uganda and expressed his profound gratitude for the opportunity to host the Summit. “This is music to my ears, and I am very happy to host this Summit. “We are ready to showcase Africa’s Agriculture potential and Uganda’s rich indigenous heritage in farming that forms a strong foundation for modernization and commercialisation of our Agriculture Sector”. The potential for agriculture in Africa remains huge and underexploited. In Uganda, our focus is to preserve of our indigenous agriculture like cows, goats, bananas, cassava, fish. among others” Museveni said.

H.E Amb. Josefa Sacko briefed the President on the progress made leading to the Extra-Ordinary Summit in January 2025, during which, the Kampala Declaration will be endorsed to succeed the 2014 Malabo Declaration. “Your Excellency, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has become an Agenda 2063 flagship programme and the pivotal framework for accelerating agricultural transformation across Africa. Following the Maputo Declaration in 2003, the Malabo Declaration, adopted in 2014, built upon the Maputo declaration, introducing substantial modifications and ambitious commitments. The 20 years of CAADP implementation has seen an increase in Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), average incomes, agricultural output and productivity, agricultural trade and agricultural investments as well as a significant reduction in hunger and poverty”

Emphasizing the need to develop a Post-Malabo Agenda that addresses sustainable Agri-food systems in line with the 2021 African Common Position to the United Nations Food systems Summit, the Forty-Fourth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 14-15 February 2024 requested the African Union Commission to develop the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan that will culminate into the CAADP Action Plan (2026-2035) and Kampala Declaration.

The Validation Workshop held in Kampala from 21-23 August 2024 reviewed, validated, and provided input into the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan that was prepared by the drafting team that met in Uganda from 05 to 14, August to produce a first draft. The initial inputs to the report was generated from the Validation Workshop of the Reports of the 13 Technical Working Groups that took place in Zambia, from 25 to 30 July ,2024.

The draft Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) will be finalized and presented to the AU Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) in October 2024, and subsequently to the Heads of State and Government during the Extraordinary Summit in January 2025 in Kampala, Uganda.

The validation workshop was closed by Honourable Rose Namayanja a former member of parliament calling upon the African Union to ensure the summit draws participants from a wide range of stakeholders especially the youth and young people in Agriculture sector. “Our economies rely heavily on the agricultural sector which employs about 65% of the working population, of which 63% are youth. Most of these youth reside in rural areas where agriculture is the major economic activity and better still, they have great potential with their numeric strength and use of technology to advance the sector” she stated. “I therefore call upon the AU to organise a pre-summit youth forum to allow the youth to share knowledge, innovation and experiences that we can leverage on to transform our agricultural sector for future generations. This plan should also focus on retaining and supporting youth and their employment in the various aspects of the agriculture value chain.

The validation workshop consolidated stakeholder feedback and inputs into the draft Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) that also builds upon lessons learnt and leverages on evidence from the implementation of the Maputo and Malabo CAADP declarations. Aligned with CAADP principles, the plan prioritizes stimulating investment, fostering partnerships, empowering vulnerable smallholders, and leveraging resources to drive economic growth, enhance food security, and improve livelihoods while addressing the impacts of climate change.

It also draws from the aspiration of Agenda 2063, the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan for Agenda2063 (2023-2034) and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan incorporates insights from diverse experts while strategically adapting to address challenges to Africa’s food system transformation and takes into consideration emerging global trends. The CAADP Strategy and ten-year action plan will be presented to the AU policy organs   at the Extra-ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government for adoption in January 2025.

For further information, please contact:

1. Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa – Director of Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate (ARD) African Union Commission  Email: BahiigwaG@africa-union.org
2. Dr Manyewu Mutamba - AUDA-NEPAD Senior Programme Officer, Food Security. Directorate of Agriculture, Food Systems and Environmental Sustainability. Email:  Manyewum@nepad.org

For media inquiries, please contact:

3. Ms. Peace Lydia Mutuwa, Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission; Email MutuwaP@africa-union.org
4. Mr.  Molalet Tsedeke, Information and Communications Directorate; African Union Commission Tel: 0911-630631; Email: MolaletT@africa-union.org

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