Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard: Performance and Lessons

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) was endorsed in 2003 as the flagship program of the African Union (AU) for agriculture and food security (NEPAD 2003). The aim of CAADP is to maximize the contribution of agriculture to achieving the ambition of a self-reliant and productive Africa and delivering economic growth and sustainable development for its people. After ten years of implementation and looking ahead to what CAADP needs to achieve over the following decade, the AU Heads of State and Governments in 2014 endorsed the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods. The Malabo Declaration outlines the vision of Africa’s leaders for accelerating agricultural growth and transformation on the continent between 2015 and 2025. This transformation is to be achieved through the pursuit of seven broad commitments:

1. Upholding the principles and values of CAADP,

2. Enhancing investment finance in agriculture,

3. Ending hunger in Africa by 2025,

4. Reducing poverty by half by 2025 through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation,

5. Boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services,

6. Enhancing resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and related risks, and

7.  Ensuring mutual accountability for actions and results by conducting a Biennial Review (BR) continent-wide to monitor progress in achieving the seven Malabo Declaration commitments.