A Malawian development economist based in South Africa, Greenwell Matchaya, is playing a key role in shaping Africa’s most forward-looking food systems strategy. Matchaya co-authored the African Union’s Kampala Declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), adopted in January 2025. This continental blueprint aims to transform agri-food systems into resilient, inclusive, and innovation-driven engines of growth by 2035.
The declaration builds on earlier African commitments the Maputo Declaration (2003) and Malabo Declaration (2014) which sought to increase agriculture budget allocations and drive sector-wide development.
However, the Kampala framework marks a decisive turning point by addressing persistent gaps in implementation, data systems, and investment mobilisation.
Speaking during a public lecture at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Matchaya urged policymakers, researchers, and youth to embrace the agenda, align national policies, and take ownership of the continent’s food security future.
A homegrown vision with global relevance
Matchaya. as a co-author challenges the conventional belief that Africa’s transformative policies must be externally driven.
“I can affirm that expertise from within the continent can effectively steer ambitious reforms,” said Matchaya.
The declaration aligns with key frameworks including Agenda 2063 (Aspiration 1 and Goal 5), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 8, and 13), and Malawi’s Vision 2063 (Pillar 1 on agriculture). It reframes agriculture as a driver of inclusive growth, climate resilience, and economic transformation placing food systems at the heart of national, regional, and global development strategies.
Key Kampala targets include:
- A 45% increase in food output
- A 50% reduction in post-harvest losses
- Tripling intra-African agricultural trade
- Ensuring that 40% of households are protected from climate and economic shocks by 2035
Malawi’s mixed record
Malawi has domesticated previous CAADP commitments through instruments like the National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) and the National Agriculture Policy (NAP), aligning them with broader development strategies such as the National Resilience Strategy and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
According to Readwell Musopole, Malawi’s CAADP Focal Person, the country conducts annual Agriculture Joint Sector Reviews and has developed a performance monitoring handbook to track CAADP indicators. Yet, challenges persist ranging from fragmented data systems and limited private sector engagement to agriculture budgets heavily skewed toward subsidies.
“Malawi has technically met the Maputo target of allocating at least 10% of its national budget to agriculture,” said Musopole.
“However, more resources are required to enhance climate resilience, irrigation, and extension services,” he added.
Pathways to transformation
To meet the Kampala targets, Matchaya proposes five key transformation pathways for Malawi:
Policy Coherence – Aligning all agricultural strategies into a unified national investment framework.
Investment Mobilisation – Blending public, donor, and private sector funds to finance high-impact areas like irrigation, post-harvest value chains, and agripreneurship.
Institutional Reform – Strengthening inter-ministerial collaboration and revitalising underfunded platforms such as Technical Working Groups (TWGs).
Data and Accountability – Mainstreaming CAADP Biennial Review indicators into national planning, monitoring, and budgeting systems.
Capacity and Innovation – Scaling up digital agriculture, nutrition-sensitive technologies, and market-oriented extension services.
A critical juncture for Malawi
Malawi will require between $7 billion and $10 billion over the next decade to achieve its share of the Kampala targets. Matchaya advocates redirecting funding from blanket subsidies to climate-smart, bundled solutions such as irrigation, legumes, and resilient seed systems that can drive productivity, improve nutrition, and lift household incomes.
In earlier interviews, Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale said the government is strategically allocating resources to empower Malawian farmers. Key instruments include the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) for smallholder farmers and the Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (MAIC) targeting commercial-scale operations.
“Government seeks to ensure that farmers graduate from being beneficiaries of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) to becoming borrowers from NEEF,” Kawale said.
“When they expand with NEEF loans, we offer another funding window through MAIC to support them as mega farmers,” added Kawale.
Conclusion: A real reset button
The Kampala Declaration offers more than a policy script, it is Africa’s food systems reset button. With a clear strategic roadmap now in place, Malawi and Africa’s journey to agri-food transformation hinges on bold investments, coordinated action, and homegrown leadership.
