Animal Resources at the Heart of Transforming Agri-Food Systems in the Extraordinary African Union (AU) Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP)

By On Jan 8, 2025

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The Extraordinary AU Summit on the Post-Malabo CAADP, scheduled for 9-11 January 2025 in Kampala, Uganda, will provide a platform for key stakeholders to redefine Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda for the next decade. Among the active participants is the African Union’s InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), which is taking a central role in this event. AU-IBAR’s participation underscores the critical importance of animal resources—livestock, fisheries, aquaculture, and the blue economy—in building resilient and sustainable agri-food systems across the continent. The Bureau’s focus aligns with CAADP’s overarching goals of food security, poverty reduction, and economic development while promoting innovation in production, health, and trade.
This Summit takes place at time when Africa is working towards overcoming challenges identified in the Malabo Biennial Reviews and to ensure that the continent’s agriculture and food systems are resilient, inclusive, and capable of meeting growing demands.

Objectives of the Summit
The Extraordinary Summit aims to:
1. Endorse the Draft Kampala CAADP Declaration: Outlining a vision for transforming Africa’s agri-food systems during the period 2026-2035, emphasizing inclusivity, sustainability, and economic growth.
2. Adopt the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035): Providing a detailed roadmap to achieve the targets set in the draft declaration, with clear strategies for implementation and monitoring.

Structure and Format
•    Day 1 (9 January 2025): The Summit begins with a Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture, featuring key speakers such as H.E. Amb. Josefa Sacko, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, and Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture. The day includes welcoming remarks, interactive discussions, and health breaks.
•    Day 2 (10 January 2025): A Joint Ministerial Session will bring together Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Water, Environment, and Foreign Affairs to review the draft CAADP Strategy and Kampala Declaration in closed sessions, fostering collaborative dialogue and refinement.
•    Day 3 (11 January 2025): The Assembly of Heads of State and Government will convene to endorse the finalized draft strategy and declaration.

AU-IBAR Side Events
As part of its active engagement, AU-IBAR will host two critical side events on 10 January 2025, focusing on the significant contribution of animal resources to resilient agri-food systems:
1.    Maximizing the Contribution of Animal Resources for Sustainable and Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Innovations in Health, Production, and Trade – Livestock and Feed and Fodder
o    Time: 15:00 – 16:30
o    Highlights the role of livestock in advancing food security through innovations in feed, fodder, and sustainable production systems.

2.    Maximizing the Contribution of Animal Resources for Sustainable and Resilient Agri-Food Systems: Innovations in Health, Production, and Trade – Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Blue Economy
o    Time: 17:00 – 18:30
o    Focuses on the vital role of aquatic blue foods, which provide 18% of Africa’s animal protein, exceeding the global average of 15%. This session will explore how fisheries and aquaculture can contribute to Africa’s sustainable development, aligned with the 2014 Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture (PFRS).

These sessions will showcase AU-IBAR’s commitment to leveraging animal resources for economic growth, food security, and sustainability while emphasizing their alignment with the broader CAADP agenda.

Participants
The Summit will bring together a wide array of stakeholders, including African Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), youth, women, non-state actors, academia, development partners, and the media. This diverse representation is critical to fostering political ownership, accountability, and collective action.

Broader Context of CAADP
Since its inception in 2003, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has served as the cornerstone of agricultural transformation in Africa. Its goals include achieving a 6% annual growth rate in agriculture, ensuring 10% budget allocation to the sector, and addressing food security, nutrition, and rural poverty while safeguarding the environment.

Building on the successes of the Maputo (2003) and Malabo (2014) Declarations, the post-Malabo agenda seeks to address the gaps identified in recent Biennial Reviews. The draft Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) provides a forward-looking blueprint for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems transformation.