Written by Lisa Murimi
African ministers have issued renewed warnings over chronic underfunding of agriculture, cautioning that the continent could miss key food security targets if countries fail to honour past financial commitments.
Speaking at the 20th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, leaders expressed concern that despite earlier pledges under the Maputo Declaration, most African governments continue to fall short of allocating at least 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture and rural development.
The ministers stressed that the shortfall is leaving millions vulnerable to hunger, poverty, and worsening climate impacts.
The 2003 Maputo commitment was reaffirmed in the Malabo Declaration of 2014, which aimed to end hunger in Africa by 2025 through accelerated agricultural growth and transformation.
However, ministers noted that current national budget allocations remain well below required levels.
“Recalling the Maputo Declaration on agriculture and food security in Africa (Assembly/AU/Decl.7 (II)), in which African heads of state and government committed to allocate at least 10 per cent of national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development within five years and adopt the comprehensive Africa agriculture development programme framework,” the draft resolutions state.
The call for action comes amid alarming global hunger forecasts. A recent joint report by the FAO and WFP identified five nations—Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali—as being at greatest risk of famine.
Although some African countries, including Kenya and Ethiopia, have been removed from the global Hunger Hotspots list due to progress, concerns remain over the sustainability of these gains.
Kenya, for instance, allocated Sh47.6 billion to agriculture in its 2025–26 budget—still falling short of the 10 per cent target relative to its total expenditure of Sh4.29 trillion.
Ministers also highlighted the urgent need to address soil degradation, referencing the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit and the Nairobi Declaration, which promotes sustainable land use and soil restoration.
As the conference continues, leaders are urging countries to scale up investments across entire food systems to prevent a deepening crisis.
