Africa’s Food Systems: Experts stress parliamentary accountability for agricultural transformation.

🌾 AFRICA’S FOOD SYSTEMS

📆 February 12, 2026 | 6th African Union Mid-Year Summit ⚖️ PARLIAMENTARY ACCOUNTABILITY

🚜 Experts stress: “Without parliamentary oversight, agricultural transformation in Africa remains a mirage.”

📌 ACCOUNTABILITY GAP THREATENS CAADP GOALS

At the African Union (AU) Policy Dialogue on Agriculture (Addis Ababa, Feb 2026), a coalition of pan-African experts and legislators launched a “Parliamentary Scorecard on Food Security”. The central finding: only 11 of 55 AU member states consistently allocate 10% of public expenditure to agriculture as per the 2003 Maputo/Malabo Declaration. Worse, budget execution rates average 58%, and legislative scrutiny remains weak or symbolic.

🗣️ “Transformation needs teeth”

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (African Development Bank): “Parliaments hold the purse and the pen. They must question ministries, track expenditure, and repeal outdated land laws. Without this, the Post-Malabo Agenda (2026–2035) will fail like its predecessor.” The AU Commissioner for Agriculture echoed: “We are shifting from voluntary commitments to accountability mechanisms—including annual parliamentary hearings.”

📘 KEY NOTES – UPSC/SSC/STATE EXAMS

• 🔹 CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme): established 2003, AU framework to boost agricultural growth (6% p.a.) & public investment (10% budget).
• 🔹 Malabo Declaration (2014): renewed CAADP commitments; added nutrition, resilience, and mutual accountability through biennial reviews.
• 🔹 Post-Malabo Agenda (2026-2035): currently being negotiated; emphasis on climate adaptation, youth inclusion, and parliamentary scorecards.
• 🔹 Parliamentary roles: approve agri-budgets, oversee procurement (fertiliser, seeds), ratify land policies, and represent smallholder farmers.
• 🔹 Challenges: weak capacity of parliamentarians, executive dominance, low women representation (only 24% in African legislatures).
• 🔹 Success stories: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana – strong budget oversight contributed to agricultural growth & reduced hunger (FAO).
• 🔹 Relevance for India: South-South cooperation – India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture often cited as model.

📝 PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS (PYQs) – COMPETITIVE EXAMS

Test your grasp on Africa’s food security architecture. Click to reveal answer & explanation.

Q1. The Malabo Declaration (2014) is specifically associated with which of the following? (UPSC Prelims 2023)

A) African Union’s agenda for silencing guns by 2030 B) Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) commitments C) African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) D) Great Green Wall for the Sahara Initiative

✅ Correct: B – Malabo Declaration (Equatorial Guinea, 2014) reaffirmed CAADP goals.
It set seven concrete commitments including ending hunger, halving poverty, boosting intra-African trade in agri‑goods, and mutual accountability through biennial reviews.

Q2. Which of the following is NOT a stated objective of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)? (SSC CGL 2025)

A) Achieve annual agricultural growth of 6% B) Allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture C) Establish a continental monetary union by 2030 D) Enhance food security and nutrition

✅ Correct: C – Monetary union is NOT a CAADP objective.
CAADP focuses on agricultural productivity, investment, and policy; monetary union falls under African Economic Community (Abuja Treaty) and AfCFTA discussions.

Q3. The "biennial review" mechanism under the Malabo Declaration is designed to: (CDS 2024)

A) Assess AU member states' progress on agricultural commitments B) Audit the accounts of regional economic communities C) Review peacekeeping missions in the Sahel D) Monitor wildlife conservation programs

✅ Correct: A – Track progress on CAADP/Malabo targets.
The biennial review is a mutual accountability tool; the 2025 report showed only 20 out of 55 countries are on track to meet Malabo goals by 2025.

⏩ More model questions in mock test below.

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(15 questions · Africa & global agri-current affairs)

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