So far from Malabo

The results of the second (2019) biennial review report of the African Union Commission on the implementation of the Malabo Declaration[1] were presented last February in Addis Ababa. They shed new light on the progress made by African States, since the first report in 2017, in achieving the seven commitments set by the Declaration by 2025.[2].

Overall, it appears that the continent is not "on track"[3] to keep these commitments. Indeed, of the forty-nine countries that provided data, only Ghana, Mali, Morocco, and Rwanda achieved the overall score required to be considered capable of achieving the goals (table). This performance is well below that of 2017, when twenty countries achieved this. Just as in 2017, Rwanda obtained the best score. Ghana's remarkable progress should also be noted. It is the only country that was not considered capable of achieving the goals in 2017 but is on a trajectory of success in 2019.

West Africa is the only subregion on the continent likely to achieve the fifth commitment of the Declaration, which is to "boost intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and services." This is due in part to the liberalization of trade in goods and services within ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). No other subregion on the continent is on track to achieve any of the seven objectives of the Malabo Declaration.

Similarly, none of the forty-nine countries analyzed in the report are able to meet the second commitment, which targets "strengthening financing for investments in agriculture." Only four countries—Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali, and Rwanda—dedicate at least 10 percent of their annual public expenditure to the agricultural sector. In 2017, ten countries had achieved this goal. Regarding improving access to and use of financial services by smallholder farmers and rural households, only two countries, Mauritius and Seychelles, are performing satisfactorily. This finding is all the more worrying given that adequate financing is an essential pillar for the transformation and modernization of agriculture. It is a crucial lever for increasing agricultural productivity and, consequently, increasing farm incomes and reducing rural poverty.

The 2019 report concludes by examining support for climate resilience of livelihoods and production systems. Again, none of the continent's five regions is on track to meet this commitment, although East Africa made significant progress over the period under review. Thus, all governments failed to meet their promises regarding increased budgets for initiatives to strengthen agriculture in the face of climate change.

Ultimately, while the report highlights some improvements compared to 2017, these remain far from sufficient given the urgency of the issues recognized in Malabo in 2014. In light of the results, it is incumbent on African heads of state and government to step up public and private investment in agriculture and accelerate progress toward strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers, who contribute the majority of the continent's food production but are the most vulnerable to climate change. The long march toward fulfilling the Malabo Declaration needs renewed momentum.

[1] The Malabo Declaration on "Accelerating Growth and Transforming Agriculture in Africa for Shared Prosperity and Better Livelihoods" was adopted by the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in June 2014 in Equatorial Guinea.

[2] The seven commitments of the Malabo Declaration are: (i) recommitting to the principles and values of the CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme) process; (ii) strengthening financing for investments in agriculture; (iii) eradicating hunger in Africa by 2025; (iv) halving poverty by 2025, through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation; (v) boosting intra-African trade in agricultural commodities and related services; (vi) strengthening the resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate change and other related risks; and (vii) strengthening mutual accountability for actions and results. Source: Biennial report to the AU Assembly on implementing the June 2014 Malabo Declaration, The 2nd Report to the February 2020 Assembly.

[3] According to the African Union Commission on the Implementation of the Malabo Declaration, being "on track" to achieve a target by 2025 indicates that a country scores higher than or equal to a benchmark. Each country is assigned an overall score, equal to the sum of the scores per target.