The School of Public Health Contributes to Africa’s New Agrifood Systems Strategy
The School of Public Health, University of Ghana is celebrating the contribution of one of its distinguished faculty members, Professor Amos Laar, to the development of Africa’s new Agrifood Systems Strategy (2026–2035). The strategy, adopted at the recent African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on Agrifood Systems, provides a transformative roadmap for ensuring sustainable food systems, nutrition security, and agricultural resilience across the continent.
The summit, held in Kampala, Uganda, brought together Heads of State, Ministers of Agriculture, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, and key food systems stakeholders to shape the future of Africa’s agrifood landscape. The Summit culminated in the endorsement of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan, a ten-year framework designed to tackle food security challenges and strengthen Africa’s agricultural policies as well as the Kampala Declaration.
As an expert in Public Health Nutrition, Professor Amos Laar, together with another Professor from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Professor Anna Lartey were appointed by the African Union to co-lead the Technical Working Group that developed Pillar III of the Strategy, focusing on food security and nutrition. The work of the Technical Working Group played a critical role in ensuring that the strategy prioritizes nutrition-sensitive policies that do not just promote food production but also address food security and nutrition across the continent.
Professor Laar underscored the importance of making nutrition a core pillar of Africa’s food systems transformation:
“If we succeed in growing agriculture but fail to nourish our people, to what end? If we produce food that fills stomachs but not lives, sustains survival but not health, we will have failed. Nutrition must be at the heart of Africa’s agrifood strategies.”
A Strategy for Nutrition-Centric Agriculture
The newly adopted CAADP Strategy and Kampala Declaration outline ambitious targets, including:
Achieving zero hunger across all African Union Member States by 2035
Reducing stunting, wasting, and overweight by 25%
Ensuring that 60% of the population can afford a healthy diet
Promoting agrifood systems that support human nutrition and health outcomes
Developing innovative social safety nets to address malnutrition
Professor Laar, who has long advocated for integrating nutrition into agricultural policies, expressed optimism about Africa’s food security future. However, he cautioned that achieving these goals will require strong political will, evidence-based implementation, and cross-sector collaboration.
“This strategy holds immense promise, but we must ensure that it is not just about increasing food production. Every policy decision, every investment must be made with the goal of nourishing Africa’s population in a sustainable way.”
A Milestone for the School of Public Health, University of Ghana
The School of Public Health, University of Ghana, takes pride in Professor Laar’s involvement in this historic initiative. His contributions reflect the University’s commitment to advancing evidence-based public health solutions, research, and policy influence at the continental and global levels.
As Africa moves towards implementing this ambitious strategy, stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers will look to experts like Professor Laar to provide guidance on how best to align agricultural policies with nutrition security goals. The School of Public Health remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that bridge public health, food systems, and sustainable development.
For more insights on the School of Public Health´s contributions to global public health and nutrition initiatives, visit our website https://publichealth.ug.edu.gh/
The School´s interview of Professor Laar, following the Summit is below.
Interaction with Professor Amos Laar on the new Africa´s Agrifood Systems Strategy and Accompanying Commitments
Following the recent the recent African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on Agrifood Systems, the School of Public Health had the opportunity to speak with one of the food systems experts who contributed to this landmark continental strategy: Professor Amos Laar, a Public Health Nutrition specialist from the University of Ghana School of Public Health. Professor Laar was appointed by the African Union to co-lead Technical Working Group that contributed expertise toward the development of Pillar III of the Strategy.
Clearly pleased with the document, he expressed optimism for Africa’s future. However, he cautioned that there must be a meaningful centering of nutrition in the domestication and implementation of the CAADP Strategy and the Kampala Declaration at the national levels.
“Having had the opportunity to contribute to the ten-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan and the Kampala Declaration, I am compelled to nudge all continental food systems stakeholders and actors toward a higher ambition - toward ensuring that agrifood systems are leveraged for nutrition.”
We stand on the precipice of a historic moment – a moment that will shape Africa’s agrifood systems and the future of its people for generations to come. These documents hold immense promise: to increase agricultural productivity, transform economies, and feed millions. But if we stop here, posterity will judge us harshly. As Professor Laar poignantly asked:
“To what end? If we succeed in growing agriculture but fail to nourish our people, to what end? If we produce food that feeds but does not nourish – food that fills stomachs but not lives, food that sustains survival but not health, food that meets today’s needs while sowing tomorrow’s malnutrition – then to what end?”
Professor Laar was visibly pleased that Strategic Objective 3 of the Strategy and Pillar III of the Declaration prioritize food security and nutrition. African governments have committed to achieving zero hunger across all African Union Member States by 2035, reduce stunting, wasting, and overweight by 25%, while ensuring that 60% of the population can afford a healthy diet. To this end, they have resolved to among others, “promote agrifood systems that enhance human nutrition and health outcomes, supporting diets that contribute to overall well-being, and develop innovative social safety nets that effectively tackle malnutrition and promote food and nutrition security.
“As the clock ticks, every implementation decision we make as a continent today will echo into the future. It is our responsibility to ensure that this Strategy does not merely feed Africa but nourishes Africa – and does so sustainably. The good news is that the custodians of the Strategy and Africa’s food systems actors are aligned in purpose. The Ministers of Agriculture and other stakeholders who were present at the Summit agree that agriculture must be people-centric and nutrition-centric.
If we address this challenge, we will not only win the current war against hunger but also prevent battles yet to come. These future battles will not be fought with cudgels, bows, and arrows – not even with tanks or drones. They will be fought with fork and knife. And this is a battle humanity cannot afford to lose. A malnourished child cannot learn. A malnourished worker cannot produce. A malnourished leader cannot lead well. And a malnourished society cannot thrive,” Professor Laar emphasized.
So, what must we do?
“I acknowledge the risk of biased truth-signaling here, given what I do, what I advocate for, but my response to this question reflects the genuine truth. We must put nutrition front and center as we work toward achieving the goals of the Strategy and the commitments declared. Every seed planted, every policy crafted, every investment made must focus on nourishing our people and doing so sustainably. This is our chance; this is our time. Our leaders have declared boldly. Let us seize this moment to ensure that Africa’s agrifood systems grow not just food, but a nourished, vibrant continent”.