The African Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) at the Twenty Third (XXIII) Ordinary Session of the AU assembly meeting from 26-27th in June 2014, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea adopted the declaration meant to transform the Agriculture sector in Africa and to give CAADP an opportunity to guide agriculture development on the African continent.
The Malabo Declaration which in full is the Malabo deceleration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods has 7 commitments.
The Malabo Declaration has 7 commitments as follows:
Overview of the Malabo Declaration (2014)
Recommitment to the Principles and Values of the CAADP Process
the pursuit of agriculture-led growth as a main strategy to achieve targets on food and nutrition security and shared prosperity;
the exploitation of regional complementarities and cooperation to boost growth;
the application of principles of evidence-based planning, policy efficiency, dialogue, review, and accountability, shared by all NEPAD programs;
the use of partnerships and alliances including farmers, agribusiness, and civil society; and
support implementation at country levels, and regional coordination and harmonization
2. Recommitment to enhance investment finance in Agriculture
To mobilise and invest both public and private finances to the agriculture sector
To uphold 10% public spending target as per the Maputo declaration and to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness
To fast track and operationalize the African Investment Bank
3. Commitment to Ending Hunger by 2025
At least double productivity through ensuring access to quality and affordable inputs; provision of skills, knowledge and information; water management and irrigation; mechanization and energy supplies
Reduce by half the current levels of Post Harvest Losses (PHL)
Protection to smallholder agriculture and social protection initiatives such as committing budget lines within our national budgets to safety nets and disasters; strengthening strategic food and cash reserves; setting up early warning systems against disasters; improving responses to emergencies and disasters; targeting and supporting communities under risk; encouraging consumption of locally produced foods;
Improvement of nutrition through reducing stunting to 10% and underweight to 5%
4. Commitment to Halving Poverty, by 2025, through inclusive Agricultural Growth and Transformation
Sustain Annual sector growth in Agricultural GDP at least 6%
Establish and/or strengthen inclusive public-private partnerships for at least five (5) priority agricultural commodity value chains with strong linkage to smallholder agriculture.
Create job opportunities for at least 30% of the youth in agricultural value chains.
Support and facilitate preferential entry & participation by women and youth in gainful and attractive agribusiness opportunities
5. Commitment to Boosting Intra-African Trade in Agricultural Commodities & Services to harness markets and trade opportunities, locally, regionally and internationally through;
Tripling intra-Africa trade in agricultural commodities and services by 2025
Simplify, formalise and harmonise the existing trade practices
Fast track continental free trade area & transition to a continental Common External tariff scheme
Increase and facilitate investment in markets and trade infrastructure
Promote and strengthen multi stakeholder platforms and interactions
Consolidate, coordinate and facilitate African Common positions on agriculture related international and partnership agreements
6. Commitment to Enhancing Resilience in livelihoods & production systems to climate variability and other shocks. Reduce vulnerabilities of African livelihoods through building resilience by;
Ensuring that at least 30% of farm, pastoral and fisher households are resilient to climate and weather related risks
Enhancing investments for resilience building initiatives such as social security for rural communities and ecosystem restoration
Mainstream resilience and risk management in our policies, strategies and investment plans
7. Commitment to Mutual Accountability to Actions and Results Promote systematic and regular review processes using the CAADP Result Framework and:
Conduct a biennial Agricultural Review Process involving tracking, monitoring and reporting on progress
Develop and allocate roles and responsibilities to all stakeholders and hold them mutually accountable for their actions through peer reviews, mutual learning and multi-sectoral and multi-institutional platforms
Strengthen institutional capacities for knowledge, data generation and management to support evidence based planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
Quick Facts about Malabo Declaration:
It reinforces the Maputo declaration, it doesn’t replace it
It upholds CAADP and its principles
It was passed in 2014 the 10th anniversary of CAADP which was adopted in 2004 after the passing of the Maputo declaration in 2003
Encourages women, youths and other disadvantaged groups in society to directly participate and benefit from agricultural investments and development opportunities
It urges all development initiatives local and foreign to all align and support the realisation of National agricultural and Food Security Investment Plans, in Uganda that is the Agriculture Sector Strategy and Investment Plan (ASSP)
Malabo declaration encourages inter-sectoral coordination across sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, land, energy, forestry, trade, industry, health, technology, education, environment among others
Malabo declaration encourages all stakeholders - public, private, civil societies, farmers’, farmers’ organisations, pastoralists, fisheries, aquaculture, donors, development partners - to work together to realise their roles and responsibilities towards the agriculture transformation agenda.
The Malabo Declaration places emphasis on implementation, results and impact and holds all actors mutually accountable for their actions.
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