African Leaders Urged to Act on Food Security as Drought Threatens Millions

 

African leaders are set convening at the African Union’s Extraordinary Summit in Kampala this week to address the continent’s worsening food insecurity crisis, with a focus on transforming agrifood systems amid growing threats from climate change and persistent underfunding.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has used the three-day summit, to call for urgent action to enhance resilience, bolster climate adaptation, and strengthen partnerships with the private sector.

The meeting comes as millions across Africa face hunger and malnutrition, exacerbated by drought conditions projected to worsen in the coming months.

Despite agriculture’s critical role in Africa’s economy and food security, donor support for agricultural development has remained stagnant, hovering at just 4-6 percent of total official development assistance over the past two decades.

In 2021, global aid to agriculture reached only $10 billion, far below the levels required to address the continent’s growing needs.

Meanwhile, domestic public spending on agriculture and rural development also lags behind, highlighting the urgent need for increased financial commitments.

The summit aims to endorse the Kampala CAADP Declaration, a 10-year strategy for agricultural transformation spanning 2026 to 2035.

The declaration is part of the African Union’s broader Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a framework launched to accelerate agricultural growth and reduce poverty.

IFAD, as a co-convener of the post-Malabo CAADP agenda, is engaging with African leaders through bilateral meetings and panel discussions focused on food systems transformation and financing for small-scale farmers.

The organisation will also host a side event on scaling up national capacities to track financial flows to food systems, a key step in ensuring accountability and effective resource allocation.

In line with its priorities, IFAD is sponsoring 25 women and youth farmer representatives to attend the summit’s side event, emphasising the importance of empowering these groups in Africa’s agrifood sector.

“Transforming food systems requires inclusive approaches that leave no one behind,” said an IFAD official.

gandae@businessdayafrica.org