When African leaders and Heads of State met in June 2014 in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, they adopted the
Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and
Improved Livelihoods. The Malabo Declaration is a recommitment to the Comprehensive Africa
Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which will drive Africa's agricultural transformation and
food and nutrition security agenda in the 2015-2025 decade.
As an African-owned inclusive initiative, CAADP provides impetus to the need to address food and nutrition
insecurity, as well as unemployment, particularly of youth and women. To date, 50 out of 54 countries on the
continent are using the CAADP structure in their agricultural planning.
This document is a celebration of national, as well as regional efforts and achievements, showcasing a
panorama of good practices and experiences that will help intensify the transformation in Africa's
agricultural sector that is already underway. Most of all, it also promotes active participation by citizenry,
enhancing mutual accountability and ensuring that future initiatives build on good practices and successes
already realised.
It is estimated that 44%of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 16 (with close to 200
million people aged between 15 and 24) , making it the youngest region in the world. However, this large
pool of youth has not demonstrated an appetite for farming. This is despite the potential employment
opportunities the agricultural industry is able to create. Four out of every ten of those unemployed in sub-
Saharan Africa comprise youth. In addition, 70% of these young people live in rural areas where they are
confronted by significant challenges in accessing education, land, credit, skills development initiatives and
other assets and resources that support economic growth and opportunity.
Agriculture remains the primary employment growth sector for most African countries, and it is therefore
critical that more opportunities are created for young people in the entire production and marketing value
chain.
Experts believe that growth in the African agricultural sector will reduce poverty by twice as much as any
other industry. With the biggest share of the world's available arable land, Africa is now repositioning
agriculture as an engine for economic transformation. At present, the sector contributes about30%of gross
domestic product in most countries. Agriculture therefore remains critical to economic growth and the
creation of jobs. Equally important, a vibrant agricultural industry plays a pivotal role in ensuring national
food and nutrition security.