ADDIS ABABA—An Ethiopian delegation led by Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente is taking part in the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Special Summit, being held in Kampala, Uganda.
The summit aims to address challenges in Africa’s agriculture and food systems, focus on sustainable food production, and emphasize agricultural industrialization and trade as key to achieving lasting food security and economic transformation.
In his keynote address to the summit, Girma emphasized the need for collective and coordinated efforts by all member states to achieve food self-sufficiency in Africa.
He highlighted Ethiopia’s achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) over the past six years, transitioning from wheat import dependency to self-sufficiency.
The Agriculture Minister also explained Ethiopia’s success story in advancing the nation’s forest cover from 17 percent to 23 percent through the Green Legacy Initiative, which involved planting over 40 billion trees.
The Minister further noted that Ethiopia has aligned its national development plan with Africa’s development agenda and achieved the 6 percent growth target set by the African program over the past five years, maintaining its position as a champion and model for African development.
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme summit will provide a platform to showcase achievements, share success stories, and discuss strategies to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience for the period 2026-35.
Since its inception in 2003, CAADP has been a cornerstone of Africa’s agricultural transformation.
It has driven efforts to achieve a 6 percent annual growth rate in the agricultural sector and encouraged AU member states to allocate at least 10 percent of their budgets to agriculture.
Building on the 2014 Malabo Declaration, the CAADP agenda has focused on eradicating hunger, reducing malnutrition, and building resilient agricultural systems, it was indicated
However, with the continent falling short of meeting the Malabo Declaration targets by 2025, this summit represents a pivotal moment for African leaders to chart a new course for inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 2025
