African CSOs push for agroecology in revamped CAADP strategy

November 11, 2024 in Land & Agriculture, Policy by Editor

As African leaders prepare for the 2025 Kampala Summit to adopt a revamped Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) strategy, civil society and farmer organizations are pressing for agroecology to be integrated into the continent’s agricultural framework. They argue that agroecological practices—emphasizing local, sustainable, and biodiversity-friendly farming—could address Africa’s food insecurity more effectively than the industrial agriculture approaches currently dominant in policy.

During a press conference in Kampala on November 9, groups including the Advocacy Coalition for Sustainable Agriculture (ACSA), the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), and the Uganda chapter of the Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) emphasized the need for an agricultural strategy that empowers smallholder farmers, protects biodiversity, and builds a resilient, self-reliant food system. They are calling on African governments and the African Union to adopt agroecology as a core strategy, citing its potential to improve crop resilience by up to 30% in areas affected by drought and extreme weather.

Despite repeated efforts over the past two decades, Africa has failed to effectively implement strategies to feed its rapidly expanding population.

Although CAADP was established in 2003 under the Maputo Declaration to drive agricultural investment and reduce food insecurity across Africa, its ambitious targets remain largely unmet. The CAADP framework had called for African nations to allocate 10pc of national budgets to agriculture, aiming for 6pc annual sector growth. Progress was limited, however, prompting leaders to issue the 2014 Malabo Declaration to reiterate CAADP commitments and improve accountability and sustainability in agricultural strategies.

While civil society organizations (CSOs) appreciate the participatory process that allowed them to submit proposals for the updated CAADP strategy, they report that their calls for agroecology, food sovereignty, and climate resilience have been largely ignored in favour of industrial farming models. CSOs argue that these industrial approaches have proven ineffective in meeting Africa’s needs and could undermine the continent’s natural resources.

The coalition is urging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, alongside the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, to rally other African leaders to support policies that empower small-scale farmers and prioritize sustainable, local food systems.

Specific recommendations include prioritizing agroecology by recognizing it as a key strategy in CAADP to build resilience and sustainable agricultural practices. The continent should also ensure inclusive decision-making by involving youth, women, pastoralists, fisherfolk, and small-scale producers in policy processes.

The CSOs also want governments to protect genetic resources through enforcement of strict biosafety measures against corporate control over African genetic resources and resisting reliance on GMOs and synthetic agro-inputs. Mechanisms to support farmer-managed seed systems should also be put in place and adequate financial backing for seed systems managed by farmers and biofertilizers provided to promote soil health. Lastly, the CSOs want an Advisory Council for Smallholder Farmers established within CAADP to ensure that smallholder farmers’ perspectives are prioritized alongside the private sector’s.

These organizations stress that the success of African agriculture hinges on policies that respect the knowledge and resilience of Africa’s smallholder farmers. They argue that integrating agroecology into CAADP could lead to more resilient, self-reliant food systems that are better equipped to meet the continent’s growing food needs sustainably.