From Declarations to Results: Examining Pathways for the Malabo CAADP in Light of the Kampala Declaration

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By: Shirley Kansabe

Nutrition Policy Research and Evaluation Officer

Kyambogo University, Uganda.

“We do well in developing plans, but they never get implemented!” This sentiment echoed through many discussions on the sidelines of the African Union’s (AU) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State held recently in Kampala, Uganda. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) is Africa’s policy framework to address issues of agri-food systems on the continent. As an unusually curious delegate during the summit, I pondered the uncharted bridge connecting CAADP’s meticulous commitments to the healthy diets and sustainable agri-livelihoods that assure Africa’s prosperity.

You may be aware that the Kampala Declaration and its attendant strategy and action plan succeeded the Malabo Declaration of 2014 and its predecessor, the Maputo Declaration of 2003. It is important to know that the African Union Commission (AUC) has committed a third decade of strategic guidance for resilient agri-food systems on the continent. While this is highly commendable, questions remain on how we get from these plans to achieving the promised results. Moreover, issues around intra-Africa trade in agricultural products, governments’ investments in agriculture, resilience to climate variability and other shocks, as well as governance and accountability remain persistent across the three plans. Inevitably, there’s impetus to unravel how our leaders’ declarations convert or not, into the status quo of Africa’s agri-food systems.

I present an abridged assessment of the CAADP implementation processes with reference to the Malabo Declaration’s implementation guidelines. The process starts with CAADP domestication that includes;

  • Adoption and popularization of the CAADP.
  • A review of the extent to which existing frameworks address the CAADP commitments.
  • Identification of gaps and development of a country roadmap to actualize CAADP’s aspirations.

After domestication is the development or appraisal of the National Agriculture Investment Plan (NIAP) which avails funding, especially from the private sector, for actual implementation of CAAPD activities.

The NIAP should be aligned to the National Development Plans (NDPs) to ease incorporation in annual budgets, and the Midterm Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which is a forecast of future costs and revenues from government’s investments. There is also emphasis on results-oriented coordination of ministries, donors, and other actors, and guidance to handle common problems around finance and investment, policy and planning, and monitoring and evaluation including the biennial reviews.

Thus far have we come, but who is funding the CAADP domestication and development of the NIAP? I presume it’s the Ministries of Agriculture for whom the implementation guidelines were developed; meaning that CAADP could sadly end at this point since our governments have “limited resource envelopes.” If somehow this stage gets funded, who in the Ministry of Agriculture or elsewhere is designated to see the remaining processes through to completion, and how?

The guidelines make mention of CAADP implementation teams: Ministries of Agriculture, CAADP Focal Persons, etc. as the users of the implementation guidelines. Except for the ministries, how would such critical actors obtain their mandate on CAADP? Meanwhile from experience, some government employees complain that such policy frameworks are “additional responsibilities.” Nonetheless, finances would make implementation very easy, however, how will governments protect themselves from potential conflicts of interest in dealing with the private sector which we know to be profit-driven? [CAADP is very strong on private-sector investment].

Now that we know the links and delinks of the CAADP implementation process and understand the path of our leader’s declarations, do we also appreciate our individual and collective role on this journey?

The Writer is a Cohort 1/2024 Usisi Amandla Fellow https://developmenteye.org/cohort/shirley-kansabe/

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