AGRA, the African-led institution headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting African governments and institutions as the continent enters a crucial phase of food systems reform.

Speaking at the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme – Partnership Platform (CAADP-PP) held in Kigali, Rwanda, and co-organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) and African Union Development Agency – NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), AGRA emphasised the urgent need to move from high-level commitments to coordinated actions aligned with Africa’s priorities and leadership.

AGRA collaborates with African governments, the private sector, civil society and development partners to drive inclusive agricultural transformation. This approach strengthens systems so that farmers can thrive, markets can grow and countries can achieve their food and nutrition goals.

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Driving Tangible Outcomes

This year’s CAADP-PP brought together governments, development partners and private sector players to align on key priority areas that will drive tangible outcomes in Africa’s agri-food systems. During the forum, AGRA presented the “Africa Food Systems Report (AFSR) 2025”, a comprehensive resource that tracks progress across supply chains, diets, food environments, systemic drivers and development outcomes.

Jonathan Said, AGRA’s Vice President for Technical Expertise, highlighted the significance of the platform. “The CAADP Partnership Platform is where partners align on what we will deliver together. Our role is to support the AUC and AUDA-NEPAD to secure partner coherence and focus on key priorities such as food corridors, end-to-end value-chain development and seed system commercialisation so that countries can implement their National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) faster, crowd in private investment and expand access to finance for farmers and SMEs,” explained Said.

Shared commitments focused on enabling governments to strengthen the coordination and delivery of flagship agricultural programmes that drive food systems transformation. Partners also emphasised the importance of advancing regional trade integration while stimulating private-sector investment in value addition and improved market access.

“AGRA’s initiatives are designed to connect smallholder farmers to regional markets, de-risk investment in agro-processing and mobilise new financing models that catalyse growth along entire value chains toward Africa’s self-sufficiency and inclusive agricultural growth,” Said added.

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Soil Degradation and Food Security

Another key priority was the acceleration of the African Soil Health and Fertilizer Agenda, with partners acknowledging soil degradation as a major constraint to food security. Interventions highlighted at the forum included integrated soil fertility management, more efficient fertiliser use and the expansion of farmer-centred extension systems that strengthen access to information, technologies and essential inputs.

Momentum is also building around the AU’s Seed and Biotechnology Action Plan. AGRA, through its Centre of Excellence for Seed Systems in Africa (CESSA), showcased a tri-partite model linking AGRA, One CGIAR, and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) to fast-track the development and deployment of climate-resilient, high-yielding and nutrient-dense crop varieties.

The CAADP-PP further emphasised the inclusion of youth and women as intentional drivers of agricultural transformation. With women and young people forming the backbone of Africa’s agricultural workforce, AGRA and partners are rolling out targeted programmes to expand access to land, finance, markets and practical skills. A dedicated side event convened by the AUC focused on tracking youth entrepreneurship and employment in agri-food systems, an area where countries still lack coherent metrics, making it difficult to direct investment and support to viable youth enterprises.