Africa has never lacked agricultural strategies. Since the launch of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) in 2003, governments have repeatedly pledged to spend at least 10 percent of government budgets on agriculture and to increase productivity through better investment and coordination. The African Union has reaffirmed this goal in subsequent declarations such as Malabo in 2014 and the Kampala CAADP Strategy (2026-2035).
Yet twenty years later, one in five Africans still faces hunger, and few countries have met their budget obligations. With the upcoming African Union summit just around the corner, it is time to reflect on whether the continent’s food systems are finally on the path to sustainable transformation. The lesson is clear: Africa’s challenge lies not in a lack of ambition, but in ensuring that governance and accountability mechanisms are strong enough to translate commitments into results.
The Kampala Correction
The Kampala Declaration and Action Plan, adopted in 2025, heralded a quiet but important shift in African food and agricultural governance – recognizing that transformation depends as much on political responsibility as on policy and investment.
For the first time, parliaments are at the center of the CAADP process. Lawmakers are now tasked with aligning national laws with continental goals, ensuring that agricultural, food, climate and trade policies work together, and subjecting the executive branch’s obligations to real scrutiny.
This correction is important. The Kampala Declaration recognizes that accountability must extend beyond governments. It calls for stronger legislative oversight, transparent budget processes and active participation of civil society and local authorities to ensure that commitments translate into results. Without such controls and coordination, implementation will continue to drift.
The Parliamentary Network for African Food Systems (AFSPaN) has translated this broader governance mandate into a ten-year parliamentary call to action (2026-2035). It urges lawmakers to:
- Align and update food, trade, climate and health laws;
- Keep a close eye on agricultural budgets and monitor expenditure efficiency;
- Institutionalize partnerships with civil society and local authorities;
- Guarantee gender and youth responsive policies; And
- Build data and analytical capacity to support evidence-based debates.
The political economy of food
This is also a matter of priorities. In many countries in Africa, debt service costs often exceed the agricultural budget. The continent cannot depend indefinitely on external aid while investing too little in food and nutrition security at home. Parliamentarians have the constitutional power to decide how money is allocated and to hold governments accountable for how the money is spent. They should use this authority to ensure that fiscal policies – including debt management and investment decisions – directly support long-term food and nutrition security.
Strong oversight is not an obstacle to executive action; it is the prerequisite for efficiency. Countries where accountability is embedded – such as Rwanda, where performance contracts and results-based budgets are standard – show that governance can accelerate progress more effectively than any single financing instrument.
Accountability as the missing infrastructure
As heads of state meet at the AU Summit, the Kampala Declaration is a timely reminder that Africa’s food crisis is as much a governance challenge as a production challenge. Infrastructure, markets and agricultural inputs remain vital, but the missing infrastructure gap is institutional. Without transparent laws, credible budgets and measurable results, even a well-financed investment cannot achieve sustainable transformation.
Governance must therefore be prioritized in the coming decade under CAADP. The Kampala Declaration makes it clear that success will be determined by technical bodies and political institutions. The real test will be whether parliaments have the courage to tackle underperformance and legislate for long-term resilience.
Parliamentarians have finally been given the mandate to connect these dots. They have to use it now.
© Inter Press Service (20260211183430) — All rights reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
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