The Kampala CAADP Declaration, adopted at the African Union Extraordinary Summit held in Kampala in January 2025, marks a decisive shift in Africa’s agricultural policy architecture. Rather than functioning as a continuation of previous Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) frameworks, the Declaration reframes CAADP into a 10-year Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) designed to respond directly to climate volatility, food import dependence, and weak agro-industrial linkages.

At its core, the Declaration prioritizes resilience, agro-industrialisation, and intra-African trade facilitation, aligning agriculture with broader continental ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It sets out six strategic commitments and 35 intervention areas, which member states are required to translate into bankable national investment plans. Unlike earlier CAADP cycles, the Kampala framework places strong emphasis on measurable outcomes, including productivity improvements, reductions in post-harvest losses, expanded irrigation coverage, and inclusive value-chain development that integrates smallholders, youth, and women.

Crucially, the Declaration introduces stronger accountability and alignment mechanisms. Countries must now harmonise national CAADP compacts with continental priorities to access pooled financing, blended-finance platforms, and technical assistance from development partners. For the private sector, this creates a clearer investment signal: opportunities will increasingly be concentrated in priority corridors, processing zones, cold-chain logistics, mechanisation services, and agri-input systems that demonstrate measurable economic and social impact. Investors able to structure co-financed, data-driven proposals aligned with AU priorities will be best positioned to benefit from the new policy environment.