Key Takeaways
- • No African country met the overall agricultural development benchmark under the Malabo Declaration, according to the fifth CAADP Biennial Review, covering 45 countries that submitted reports.
- • Only four countries met the target of allocating at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture, and only five reached agricultural research spending of at least 1% of agricultural GDP.
- • FAO Assistant Director-General Abebe Haile-Gabriel warned that political commitments must be converted into budgets, disbursements and measurable results.
- • Internet usage in Africa stood at 36% in 2025 versus roughly 75% globally, per ITU figures cited by FAO, constraining digital agricultural technology uptake among smallholders.
Summary
No African country met the overall agricultural development benchmark under the Malabo Declaration, according to the fifth Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Biennial Review, highlighting persistent gaps in public investment, agricultural research and implementation of continental commitments. Of the 45 countries that submitted reports, none achieved the overall Malabo benchmark. Only four met the target of allocating at least 10% of public expenditure to agriculture, while only five achieved agricultural research spending equivalent to at least 1% of agricultural GDP.
Speaking at the Africa Science and Innovation Forum in Addis Ababa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said the review showed improvements in continental performance but underscored the need to translate political commitments into measurable results. He called on governments to provide predictable financing, strengthen institutions, and ensure agricultural plans carry clear responsibilities, implementation timelines and accountability mechanisms. Abebe asked whether the continent could "repeatedly announce transformation while failing to connect plans to budgets, budgets to disbursements, and disbursements to results."
Abebe also warned that Africa risks falling behind in agricultural competitiveness as artificial intelligence, robotics, satellite monitoring and data-driven systems reshape global food production. Citing International Telecommunication Union figures, he noted internet usage in Africa stood at 36% in 2025, compared with approximately 75% globally, a gap that complicates getting digital tools to smallholder farmers. He stressed that innovation should extend beyond sophisticated equipment to improved seeds, healthier soils, animal health services, affordable water management and safer food handling and storage. He cited an FAO-supported South-South and triangular cooperation example in which farmers reported a fourfold increase in rice harvests on the same land after improved drainage and seedling spacing.
Ethiopia's State Minister of Agriculture, Sofia Kassa, called for stronger investment, partnerships and practical innovation. She highlighted Ethiopia's wheat self-sufficiency efforts, the Green Legacy Initiative and the Lema Trufat initiative as programs intended to turn political commitment into coordinated investment, while acknowledging challenges in raising productivity, strengthening market connections and expanding access to finance and technology for rural smallholders. She emphasized that innovation must encompass AI, robotics, digital platforms, precision agriculture and biotechnology, alongside institutional reforms that convert research into practical benefits.
Speaking at the Africa Science and Innovation Forum in Addis Ababa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said the review showed improvements in continental performance but underscored the need to translate political commitments into measurable results. He called on governments to provide predictable financing, strengthen institutions, and ensure agricultural plans carry clear responsibilities, implementation timelines and accountability mechanisms. Abebe asked whether the continent could "repeatedly announce transformation while failing to connect plans to budgets, budgets to disbursements, and disbursements to results."
Abebe also warned that Africa risks falling behind in agricultural competitiveness as artificial intelligence, robotics, satellite monitoring and data-driven systems reshape global food production. Citing International Telecommunication Union figures, he noted internet usage in Africa stood at 36% in 2025, compared with approximately 75% globally, a gap that complicates getting digital tools to smallholder farmers. He stressed that innovation should extend beyond sophisticated equipment to improved seeds, healthier soils, animal health services, affordable water management and safer food handling and storage. He cited an FAO-supported South-South and triangular cooperation example in which farmers reported a fourfold increase in rice harvests on the same land after improved drainage and seedling spacing.
Ethiopia's State Minister of Agriculture, Sofia Kassa, called for stronger investment, partnerships and practical innovation. She highlighted Ethiopia's wheat self-sufficiency efforts, the Green Legacy Initiative and the Lema Trufat initiative as programs intended to turn political commitment into coordinated investment, while acknowledging challenges in raising productivity, strengthening market connections and expanding access to finance and technology for rural smallholders. She emphasized that innovation must encompass AI, robotics, digital platforms, precision agriculture and biotechnology, alongside institutional reforms that convert research into practical benefits.
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