African Leaders during the signing of the CAADP Kampala agreement

By Jayden Bagshaw | December 19, 2025

With less than two weeks before Africa’s new agricultural policy framework comes into force, leading policy and agriculture experts have released a practical playbook aimed at helping governments translate long-standing food security commitments into measurable results.

The Malabo Montpellier Panel has published Recipes for Success 2: Policy Innovations to Achieve the Kampala Declaration Goals, a synthesis of evidence from 70 country case studies, as African Union member states prepare to implement the next phase of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) from January 1, 2026.

From Commitments to Delivery

Adopted in 2025, the Kampala Declaration replaces the Malabo commitments that shaped African agricultural policy for more than a decade. While agricultural output has grown steadily since the early 2000s, progress has been uneven—repeatedly disrupted by climate shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and global food and energy volatility following the Russia–Ukraine war.

Rather than introducing new targets, the Panel’s report focuses on what has already worked, drawing lessons from 16 flagship studies published since 2017. The aim is to narrow the persistent gap between policy ambition and on-the-ground execution that has limited the impact of previous continental strategies.

Ambitious Targets, Familiar Constraints

Agriculture remains central to Africa’s economy, employing more than half of the labour force in many countries and contributing up to a third of GDP in low-income economies. Yet food imports continue to rise, costing the continent tens of billions of dollars annually.

• The Kampala Declaration sets out bold goals by 2035, including:
• A 45% increase in agricultural output
• Halving post-harvest losses
• Tripling intra-African agricultural trade

Evidence cited in the report highlights progress in countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and Senegal, where investments in irrigation, mechanisation and digital advisory services were aligned with farmer demand and clear policy incentives.

Financing the Transformation

Financing remains a major bottleneck. The Kampala framework calls for mobilising at least US$100 billion in public and private investment by 2035 and allocating 10% of national budgets to agriculture—targets many countries have struggled to meet since the Maputo Declaration of 2003.

Case studies from Morocco, Zambia and Seychelles show how blended finance, revolving funds and results-based subsidies have expanded access to capital, particularly for women and young farmers often excluded from traditional credit markets.

Nutrition, Equity and Youth Inclusion

Despite rising food production, nearly one in five Africans remains undernourished, and the cost of a healthy diet remains out of reach for many households. Programmes in Malawi, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire demonstrate that combining agricultural diversification with school feeding schemes, biofortified crops and targeted safety nets can improve nutrition while strengthening local markets.

On equity, the report argues that closing gender yield gaps and reducing rural poverty requires systemic reforms, not isolated projects. Experiences from Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe point to innovation hubs, secure land rights and tailored financial products as pathways for youth to transition from subsistence farming into agribusiness.

Climate Resilience and Governance

Climate resilience cuts across all six Kampala commitments. Countries such as Niger, Mali and Morocco have invested in early warning systems, drought-tolerant seeds and solar-powered irrigation, while cross-border cooperation on fisheries and water management in Mozambique and Malawi has helped stabilise food supplies and protect shared ecosystems.

Governance emerges as a decisive factor. Countries that have prioritised data-driven planning, inter-ministerial coordination and transparent regulation—notably Rwanda and Senegal—have progressed faster and attracted greater private investment.

A Pragmatic Message

For the Malabo Montpellier Panel, the conclusion is clear: Africa does not lack ideas or experience—it lacks scale and consistency in execution. As governments transition from declaration to delivery under the Kampala framework, the report positions evidence-based policymaking, coordination and sustained financing as the difference between another cycle of unmet targets and tangible gains in food security, resilience and livelihoods.