By Abbas Nazil
The African Union (AU) has urged its member states to make deliberate and bold decisions to address deep-rooted challenges holding back the growth of Africa’s agricultural sector.
Speaking on Friday at the opening of a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa meeting of ministers in Lusaka, Zambia, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, Moses Vilakati, warned that climate shocks, volatile food prices, and disrupted value chains continue to test the resilience of food systems and the resolve of African leadership.
Vilakati said that while the challenges are immense, there is renewed hope and an urgent need for decisive action.
He called for transforming existing blueprints for food systems, livestock health, fisheries, and market regulation from fragmented national approaches into integrated, continent-wide value chain ecosystems.
The AU commissioner stressed that harmonising trade and regulatory protocols, removing non-tariff barriers, and moving away from short-term project-based interventions toward sustainable institutional mechanisms is critical for progress.
He proposed the adoption of regional food balance sheets and the establishment of strategic grain reserves as tools for ensuring food security.
Vilakati also emphasised the need to treat climate resilience not as an isolated sector, but as the central framework for designing all future agricultural, water, and energy systems on the continent.
Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture, Reuben Phiri, echoed the AU’s call, urging African countries to boost productivity through climate-smart agricultural practices, expanded irrigation, and the dismantling of systemic barriers that limit growth.
Phiri described the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program as the blueprint for agricultural transformation and urged members to recommit to its implementation.
He highlighted the importance of involving the private sector and empowering smallholder farmers, noting that they form the backbone of Africa’s agricultural output and rural economies.
Both leaders stressed that without decisive reforms, Africa risks falling short of its agricultural potential, exacerbating hunger, poverty, and dependence on food imports.
The AU’s renewed push comes at a time when food insecurity remains high across many African regions, driven by conflict, climate change, and economic instability.
International agencies have warned that without coordinated action, millions more could face hunger in the coming years.
The Lusaka meeting brought together ministers responsible for agriculture, natural resources, and the environment to align policy priorities, improve cross-border cooperation, and lay the groundwork for a more resilient and self-sufficient African food system.
The AU leaders urged participants to match commitments with concrete action, framing agricultural transformation as a moral and economic imperative for the continent’s future.