On May 5, 2025, the African Union officially launched the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035 in South Africa. Introduced in the presence of Member States, AU agencies, development partners, and civil society including farmers, youth, and women’s organizations the new strategy charts Africa’s agricultural priorities for the next decade: sustainable food systems, resilient rural economies, and innovation rooted in collaboration.
Since its inception in Maputo in 2003, and the reaffirmation under the 2014 Malabo Declaration, CAADP—the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, has positioned Africa as one of the fastest-growing agricultural regions globally. Between 2000 and 2021, Africa’s agricultural GDP nearly doubled, from $200 billion to $425 billion. But recent reviews show that progress is uneven. While 49 Member States submitted reports for the 2023 Biennial Review, none are fully on track to meet the 2025 Malabo targets. Key priorities like smallholder support, regional trade, resilience, women and youth inclusion, and sustainable financing must accelerate.
ZUBA sat down with Commissioner Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), to unpack what the new Kampala CAADP strategy means for farmers, governments, youth, women and Africa’s agricultural future.
ZUBA: Congratulations on your appointment as the Commissioner of ARBE. You have made agriculture central to your first 100 days in office. Why does this matter so deeply to you?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: You know, COVID taught us something profound: we must rely on ourselves. The global situation now the war in Ukraine, for example affects us directly. Nearly 30% of our wheat used to come from Ukraine. Now there’s war. Our people are starving.
And when they starve, I feel it too. These are my brothers and sisters. We must not let any African go hungry.
We have land. We have water. We have technical skills. What we need is the will and the coordination. Agriculture can boost our economies, create employment, and stem the flow of migration that’s costing us lives.
I think of our youth, some dying crossing rivers, deserts, seas. On a personal level, this is about dignity. We must become self-reliant. That is my mission.
ZUBA: Many African countries express optimism about CAADP but often struggle with execution. What role is the AU playing to ensure real impact on the ground?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: We’ve come a long way from the initial CAADP in 2003 to Malabo, and now the Kampala Strategy and Action Plan. Some countries have made significant progress in implementing CAADP. Others are still catching up.
One concern is the domestication of CAADP into national and regional programs. That’s why we’re saying to Member States: let’s integrate this strategy into national development plans. Some countries have done this well they’ve developed national agricultural investment plans, and some are now moving into water investment plans, which are also critical.
We’re encouraging harmonization so that CAADP becomes embedded in each country’s development blueprint. Only then can we make agriculture real make food security real.
ZUBA: South Africa and Uganda have both shown leadership. But financing remains a challenge. What financial support can Member States expect?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: The African Union itself doesn’t finance countries directly. But we bring together strategic partners. That’s our role convening, facilitating, providing guidance. Implementation must come from the Member States.
Now, the reality is that globally, financing is shrinking. We’re in a geopolitical environment where donor funding is dwindling. But that also creates a moment of opportunity: for Africa to look inward.
Many of the countries I’ve visited recently have said: the AU has been spending too much time on conflict. And they’re right. But now is the time to put agriculture at the top. Because some of these conflicts stem from food insecurity. A hungry person is an angry person. If we solve agriculture if we reduce the $100 billion we spend importing food annually we could also reduce conflict and instability.
ZUBA: “A hungry person is an angry person.” How is the AU making sure that youth and women the majority of Africa’s population are central to this CAADP phase?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: This new CAADP plan is all about inclusivity. It focuses on youth and women. Young people make up 60 to 70% of many countries’ populations. That’s an incredible asset.
We’re saying: bring the youth into agriculture. And we’re meeting them where they are through digital agriculture. Young people like their gadgets. Let’s use that. Through technology, we can modernize agriculture, make it more attractive, and open up new value chains.
In fact, in early July, we’re hosting a Job Summit in Addis Ababa specifically targeting youth. We’re aiming to create a minimum of 20 million jobs from production and processing to logistics and digital innovation. The agricultural sector is vast.
And we must ensure women are equally included. Historically, funding has been skewed toward men. That has to change. If we give women and youth equal opportunity, CAADP will deliver on its promise.
ZUBA: For small-scale farmers listening to you now how can they ensure they’re not left behind? How can they tap into CAADP and the AfCFTA to expand their markets?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: Smallholder farmers are the backbone of African agriculture. And the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a game-changer for them.
Right now, intra-African trade is just 15%. That’s a missed opportunity. We trade more with the rest of the world than we do with each other. But the AfCFTA is opening up new pathways. Even the smallholder raising indigenous goats or rabbits should be able to access cross-border markets.
Digital platforms are key here. You no longer need to meet buyers face to face. Virtual marketplaces, digital logistics, and e-commerce can connect even the most rural producers with urban and regional markets. If we scale those tools, the smallholder can become a serious commercial player.
ZUBA: Looking ahead, what future do you envision for Africa if CAADP is truly implemented?
COMMISSIONER VILAKATI: If we can truly implement this framework if ministries of finance, economic planning, and agriculture all work together we’ll unlock the resources and partnerships we need.
Agriculture is not a side project. It must be central to our economic planning. With coordination, we’ll see improved GDP, job creation, reduced food imports, and greater resilience.
