Midrand, South Africa — The Pan-African Parliament Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources received a presentation Tuesday on the implementation of the Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Declaration, as officials warned that more than 300 million Africans remain undernourished despite the continent’s vast agricultural potential.

Commissioner Moses Vilakati of the African Union Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (AU-DARBE) delivered the presentation, highlighting that Africa spends between US$50 billion and US$100 billion annually on food imports — a figure he described as unsustainable and indicative of the urgent need to strengthen domestic food production.

“The challenges we face underscore the necessity to enhance food security and build resilient and sustainable agrifood systems across the continent,” Vilakati told committee members.

The Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026–2035) adopts a comprehensive agrifood systems approach spanning production, processing, distribution, and consumption in support of Agenda 2063 aspirations, Vilakati explained.

The strategy sets ambitious targets including a 45 per cent increase in agrifood production, a tripling of intra-African trade in agrifood products, and a 50 per cent reduction in post-harvest losses.

Priority interventions outlined by the commissioner include improving soil health, strengthening seed systems, expanding fertiliser production, promoting irrigation and mechanisation, advancing the blue economy, creating employment opportunities for women and youth, and building climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Members of the Pan-African Parliament welcomed the presentation but emphasised that the principal challenge remains the effective domestication and implementation of continental commitments by African Union Member States.

Parliamentarians called for stronger collaboration between the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Parliament, inclusive agricultural development, and enhanced parliamentary oversight to support implementation of the 2026–2035 Strategy.

In response, Vilakati called on parliamentarians to advance legislation on food and nutrition security, irrigation, mechanisation, agricultural financing, and the removal of trade barriers, while strengthening coordination among relevant national institutions.

Committee Chairperson Hon. Sulayman Saho closed the meeting by welcoming continued collaboration between the Pan-African Parliament and the African Union Commission.

He noted the Committee’s important role in advancing the domestication of continental agricultural commitments through model laws, parliamentary oversight, and engagement with Member States.

“We must take a more action-oriented approach to strengthening food security,” Saho said, while underscoring the importance of preserving Africa’s indigenous seed systems and ensuring that farmers’ voices are reflected in continental agricultural and climate policy processes.

The Pan-African Parliament is the legislative organ of the African Union, comprising members from 55 African Union Member States.