Africa has
adopted a new agricultural development strategy that will see the
continent increase its agrifood
output by 45 per cent by 2035 and
transform its agri-food systems to
become food secure in a decade.
This is after the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), held last week in Uganda, adopted the 10- year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan and the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa, which will be implemented from 2026 to 2035.
In the declaration, the 55 AU member states set forth six commitments that should transform and strengthen the agri-food system on the continent.
The African Union heads of state and government noted that Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050, while the global population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people.
They appreciated the challenges this will pose for food demand, and therefore the need for significant increases in agricultural production, productivity, food processing, and trade.
In this regard, they committed to intensifying sustainable food production, agro-industrialization and trade.
The strategy will also see Africa reduce post-harvest loss by 50 per cent, triple intra-African trade in agrifood products and inputs by 2035, and raise the share of locally processed food to 35 per cent of agrifood GDP by 2035.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 30 per cent of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted along the supply chain every year.
In Africa, the losses are even higher, ranging between 30 – 50 per cent.
This equates to 1.3 billion metric tons of food that fails to reach consumers, in a context of increasing food insecurity.
Reports have estimated that
lost or wasted food could be used
to feed approximately 1.6 billion
people every year.
