AU Commission Plans Extraordinary Summit on Agriculture Development in Kampala

KAMPALA: The African Union Commission has announced plans to hold an Extraordinary Summit on the Post Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in Kampala, Uganda. Scheduled from January 9 to 11, 2025, the summit aims to bring together African heads of state and government to focus on the strategy and action plan for agricultural development over the next decade.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the summit will concentrate on adopting the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan for the period 2026-2035. This plan is designed to set in motion a 10-year agenda for building robust and resilient agri-food systems across the continent, with the goals of agricultural growth, transformation, and improved livelihoods.The summit's program will feature meetings of Ministers in Charge of Agriculture Rural Development, Water, and Environment (ARDWE), as well as a joint meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Agriculture . These meetings will be followed by a summit of African heads of state and government.Since its inception in 2003, CAADP has played a pivotal role in driving agricultural transformation across Africa. The program's objectives include increasing food security and nutrition, reducing rural poverty, creating employment opportunities, and contributing to economic development while safeguarding the environment. CAADP sets ambitious goals, such as achieving a 6 percent annual growth rate in the agricultural sector and encouraging African Union member states to allocate at least 10 percent of their budgets to agriculture.