The Zimbabwean government is embedding Africa’s renewed agricultural ambitions into its national development agenda, incorporating the Kampala Declaration into a new strategy aimed at accelerating food-system transformation and agricultural delivery through 2030.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Anxious Masuka said the country had domesticated the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Kampala Declaration through its Agriculture, Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy 2 (AFSRTS 2: 2026-2030). He was speaking during the opening of the 22nd CAADP Partnership Platform and the first Kampala Policy Learning Event (KAPLE), which ran from 15 to 18 September 2026.
CAADP is an African Union policy framework established in 2003 to accelerate agricultural growth, reduce poverty and address hunger across the continent. Masuka said the gathering marked the first time countries and partners had convened under the new Kampala Declaration and the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2035. He said, “This moment signifies a critical, deliberate and collective shift from the commitments of the Malabo era to a new decade of accelerated and tangible delivery.”
The shift follows the 5th CAADP Biennial Review Report, which confirmed that Africa was not on track to meet the Malabo commitments by 2025. The Malabo Goals, adopted by African Union Heads of State in 2014, set targets for transforming agriculture, ending hunger and reducing poverty across the continent. “This was a collective failure, but also a powerful catalyst for change. The Kampala Declaration, which we adopted in January 2025, is our united response, a renewed commitment to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems,” highlighted Masuka.
The new CAADP Strategy and Action Plan is built around six strategic objectives and 22 measurable targets, including ambitions to increase agrifood output by 45% and reduce post-harvest losses by 50%. Masuka said Zimbabwe had incorporated the Kampala agenda directly into its national agricultural framework. In conclusion, Masuka said, “Our recently launched AFSRTS 2 is the direct vehicle for domesticating the CAADP Kampala agenda.The AFSRTS 2, a central pillar of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2), shares a parallel and integrated framework with the six Kampala strategic objectives.”
