Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni called for an end to subsistence farming, emphasizing the importance of commercial agriculture to secure food and economic prosperity.
Highlighting Uganda's progress, Museveni said, '67% of Ugandan homesteads are now part of the money economy compared to only 9% at independence.' He credited strategies like improved seed distribution, farmer sensitization, and disease control for this success.
'With these measures, Africa will be a superpower economically. This Africa of having no food and begging is not the real Africa but a shameful legacy of colonialism,' he declared.
Museveni underscored the need to add value within Africa to retain wealth and jobs. 'A shirt like the one I'm wearing now involves six job levelsâ€"from growing cotton to tailoring. Africa often stops at level two, exporting raw materials while losing jobs and money,' he said.
He also called for environmental preservation and innovative solutions like desalinization technologies to address water challenges.
Leaders at the summit agreed to remove non-tariff barriers and strengthen intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 'Non-tariff barriers are crippling intra-African trade. We must eliminate these obstacles urgently,' Museveni added.
The African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, lamented the slow progress in implementing the agricultural targets set in the 2003 Maputo and 2014 Malabo Declarations.
'Despite 60% of the world's uncultivated land and a youthful population, millions of Africans remain food insecure,' Faki said. He called for increased investment in mechanization, modern farming technologies, and governance reforms to ensure accountability.
Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie emphasized linking smallholder farmers to urban markets. 'The AfCFTA provides a vital framework to allow African agricultural products to compete freely across the continent,' he said, urging member states to implement the CAADP Kampala Declaration effectively.
Angolan President João Lourenço stressed the need for rigorous monitoring of commitments. 'We must double our efforts to meet the targets outlined in our action plans, including producing fertilizers and vaccines for food security,' he said.
Norway's State Secretary for International Development, Bjorg Sandkjær, reaffirmed international support for Africa's agricultural agenda. 'The bold vision of the new CAADP strategy aligns with Africa's broader goals for resilience and prosperity,' she said, pledging continued financial and technical assistance.
The summit adopted the CAADP Kampala Declaration, a ten-year blueprint emphasizing agricultural modernization, climate resilience, and value addition. Uganda's Agriculture Minister, Frank Tumwebaze, hailed the summit as a milestone. 'The Kampala Declaration validates Uganda's remarkable journey in agricultural development,' he noted.
As leaders return to their countries, the challenge remains to translate these commitments into concrete actions, unlocking Africa's potential to ensure food security and economic prosperity for its 1.4 billion citizens.
Sam K Nkururnziza
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/au-leaders-pledge-action-as-caadp-summit-concludes
