Story by Tendai Munengwa
ZIMBABWE has domesticated the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Kampala Declaration, signalling a strategic shift towards agro-industrialisation and the transformation of national food systems.
The Kampala Declaration, adopted under the African Union, builds on the Malabo framework and focuses on boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening food systems and accelerating rural development across the continent.
Speaking on the sidelines of a sensitisation workshop in Harare this Wednesday, the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Honourable Dr Anxious Masuka said the move marks a decisive policy shift.
“This declaration succeeds the Malabo Declaration in terms of agri-food systems and rural transformation. We now want to move agriculture from a value chain approach to agribusiness,” he said.
He added that Zimbabwe is repositioning itself beyond its traditional role.
“We want to take a paradigm shift from being a breadbasket of SADC to agro-industrialisation… to become an industrial hub for the region,” said Honourable Dr Masuka.
The minister said the framework aligns Zimbabwe with commitments made by Heads of State and Government to modernise agriculture and unlock value addition.
An African Union representative, Dr Rudo Makunike said the domestication process reflects a broader continental shift.
“CAADP has been revised to look beyond agriculture to the whole agri-food systems and rural transformation. This meeting marks Zimbabwe’s commitment to align with the declaration,” she said.
The Kampala Declaration calls on member states to allocate at least 10 percent of national budgets to agriculture, while promoting sustainable land use, improved market access and enhanced food security.
The policy is expected to anchor Zimbabwe’s transition towards a more resilient, value-driven agricultural economy.
