In a recent paper presented during the 14th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS) and the 19th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Partnership Platform in Lusaka, Zambia, Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa, the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the African Union Commission (AUC), discussed Kenya’s substantial strides towards ending hunger by 2025. This remarkable feat is detailed in the 3rd Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Biennial Report, published in 2021, which singles out Kenya as the sole African country on track to achieving this goal, scoring an impressive 6.40.

The report highlights several key indicators contributing to Kenya’s progress, including a 75.0% engagement of youth in new employment opportunities within agricultural value chains, a substantial 63.2% reduction in post-harvest losses for national agricultural commodities, a 100.0% allocation of social protection spending for vulnerable social groups from the government budget, a 109.8% increase in agricultural value added per agricultural worker, and a substantial 126.7% growth in agricultural value added per arable land.

Sustainable Development Goal 2, focusing on Zero Hunger, aims to eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide by 2030. Africa, however, has set an ambitious target of ending hunger by 2025, as outlined in the Malabo Declaration on Agriculture Transformation of 2014. Dr. Bahiigwa emphasized the ongoing challenge of hunger in Africa, with over 280 million people, or one in five Africans, facing food insecurity.

He called upon member states to maintain their commitment to ending hunger by 2025 by continuing to mobilize political, technical, and financial support at all levels. The event served as a platform for sharing experiences, discussing opportunities, and strategizing to promote intra-Africa agri-food trade and improved nutrition. Among the sub-themes explored during the event were reflections on the last two decades of CAADP, enhancing food and nutrition security through science and innovation, private-sector financing for agri-food and nutrition, maximizing the link between CAADP and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and strengthening institutions and partnerships.