Africa’s $100Bn blueprint to firm up food security systems

• The strategy focuses on transforming food security systems in a holistic way—from soil to shelf—targeting the most vulnerable countries.
• AU Plan envisages turning agriculture into a catalyst for prosperity, sustainability, and resilience across the continent.
• Blueprint is supported by the newly signed Kampala Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), which is a goal under African Union Agenda 2063 plan.

In yet another push to realize food security for the continent’s 1.4 billion population, the African Union (AU) has officially launched the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035, committing to a set of goals to boost food production.

This ambitious blueprint, which was unveiled during a high-level conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, seeks to mobilize up to $100 billion in investments, positioning agriculture not just as a tool for food security, but as a catalyst for prosperity, sustainability, and resilience across Africa.

Backed by the newly signed Kampala Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), which is an African Union Agenda 2063 continental initiative that aims to raise agricultural productivity, this third-generation strategy builds on the successes and lessons of the Maputo (2003) and Malabo (2014) Declarations. But unlike its predecessors, the new strategy squarely focuses on transforming food systems holistically—from soil to shelf.

Higher agricultural production as enabler of food security

Delivering the keynote address, Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Chair of the AU’s Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, highlighted the underlying shift: “This is not just about increasing yields—it’s about creating functioning systems of production, processing, and equitable market access. Africa is moving beyond subsistence to strategic self-sufficiency.”

This food security blueprint seeks to redefine agriculture as a cross-sectoral driver of inclusive development, addressing climate vulnerability, rural employment, nutrition, and economic growth simultaneously. Indeed, the strategy envisages sustainability and resilience as its twin pillars, with a focus on ecosystem restoration, nature-positive solutions, and climate-smart technologies.

Why re-imagining agriculture in Africa matters today

For food insecure nations, the urgency for a new food security initiative couldn’t be greater. Statistics show that nine of the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations across the world call Africa home.

Additionally, up to 9 per cent of national budgets across the continent are already being diverted to climate-related recovery, further threatening fiscal stability and long-term growth for already weary economies. Meanwhile, rapid population growth and urbanization continue to pile unprecedented pressure on food security systems, endangering the lives of millions.

With this backdrop, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Moses Vilakati, framed the new CAADP plan as Africa’s chance to reset its food systems. “Agriculture is no longer just about planting seeds; it’s about creating resilient, integrated economies,” he said. “This document gives us the springboard to harmonize policy and investment for sustainable transformation.”

Leadership, ownership, and the role of parliament

A critical shift in this CAADP phase is its call for domestication and accountability. Member states are not just expected to sign declarations—they must translate them into action. Nardos Bekele, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, reminded leaders that “the launch is not a ceremony—it is the ignition of a decade of acceleration.”

She called for strong domestic planning, multi-sectoral budgeting, and genuine ownership by all actors: youth, women, smallholders, private sector, and civil society.

To that end, the African Food Systems Parliamentary Network (AFSPaN) issued a clarion call for parliaments to step up. “Parliamentarians are not bystanders but system shapers,” AFSPaN added; “We must embed the Kampala Declaration into national policies through legislation, oversight, and budget allocation.”

Private sector and RECs: Engines of implementation

The private sector and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have been asked to take center stage in execution. As Uganda’s Bwino rightly noted, elements such as infrastructure, market development, and pest control can only be effectively addressed through regional coordination.

South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, echoed these sentiments and challenged his peers to eliminate market distortions and embrace innovation to plug food deficits. “We must resolve the failures that hinder technology adoption. Only then can we unlock the true potential of our farms and agribusinesses.”

The policymakers agreed that Africa needs to move from fragmented national projects to coordinated regional programs, leveraging comparative advantages and scaling innovations continent-wide.

Seeding Africa’s future

For potential investors, the CAADP Kampala Plan is an invitation for opportunities in new frontiers. With a $100 billion investment pipeline, Africa is signaling openness to partnerships that deliver impact at scale. Opportunities abound in agri-tech, logistics, renewable energy, irrigation, digital finance, and value-added processing.

The strategy aligns closely with continental initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA)—making it easier than ever to deploy capital across borders, connect producers to regional markets, and build sustainable agribusiness value chains.

Like other blueprints before it, delivering on this agenda will not be easy. It will require rethinking outdated policies, embracing evidence-based planning, and investing in human capital—especially young people. But it is a challenge worth taking.

The next Biennial Review of CAADP will serve as the first major milestone to assess implementation under the new framework. If the continent is serious, it must begin to re-align agricultural spending, increase research funding, and scale inclusive innovations immediately.

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