CAADP Kampala Summit 2025 Kicks Off, Rethinks Hunger

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Summit is taking place from January 9–11, 2025. It has convened leaders, experts, and stakeholders to chart sustainable solutions for hunger and refugee feeding across Africa. The summit, hosted under the theme “Sustainable and Resilient Agrifood Systems for a Healthy and Prosperous Africa,” seeks to redefine agricultural strategies that promote food security and inclusive development.

The Kampala Declaration, a key output of this summit, outlines a Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035, setting the continent on a transformative path toward sustainable food systems. This builds on the legacy of the Maputo Declaration (2003) and the Malabo Declaration (2014), both of which emphasized agricultural transformation as a critical lever for eliminating hunger in Africa. The declaration aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous and food-secure continent.

What is CAADP?

The Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), under the African Union is Africa’s policy framework for agricultural transformation, wealth creation, food security and nutrition security and economic growth.

Refugee Feeding in Focus

Why is the CAADP Summit in Kampala 2025 focusing on refugees?

Steven Byantwale, commissioner for crop protection at Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the significance of the refugee dimension in this year’s summit, given Uganda’s position as host to one of the largest refugee populations in the world. “Refugees, forced migration, and the inclusion of women and youth in agriculture are key priorities,” Byantwale said. He also pointed to Uganda’s exemplary performance in implementing CAADP goals, highlighted by the 2023 Biennial Review. Uganda achieved full compliance with CAADP processes, demonstrated robust capacity to generate agricultural data, and showed promising resilience of farming households to climate shocks, aided by initiatives like the Parish Development Model and the Climate Smart Project.

Six Goals to Transform Africa’s Agrifood Systems
The CAADP Kampala Declaration aims to achieve six transformative goals:

1. Boosting food production: Developing strong agricultural value chains to enhance economic growth.
2. Attracting investment: Unlocking financing for innovative agricultural projects.
3. Ensuring food security: Providing safe, nutritious, and accessible food for all.
4. Promoting inclusion: Empowering women, youth, and marginalized groups in agriculture.
5. Building resilience: Supporting adaptation to climate change and other challenges.
6. Strengthening governance: Improving agricultural policies and management systems.

Side Events: Solutions and Opportunities alongside CAADP Summit in Kampala

Running alongside the main discussions, side events under the theme “Building Resilience of Agrifood Systems through Commercialization” are spotlighting innovative solutions to food insecurity and emphasizing the importance of empowering youth and women in agriculture.

David Wozemba, AGRA’s country director, underscored the summit’s long-term vision of thriving African markets and empowered farmers leveraging modern tools. “A nation that cannot feed its people cannot secure its future,” Wozemba stated, adding that public-private partnerships and regional collaboration will play a pivotal role in realizing this vision by 2035.

As the summit concludes, the leaders in Kampala are expected to make bold commitments toward building sustainable agrifood systems. The 2026–2035 Strategy and Action Plan will serve as a blueprint for transforming agriculture into a cornerstone of Africa’s economic prosperity, ensuring access to nutritious food, decent livelihoods, and a brighter future for all Africans.

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