The African Union Commission (AUC) stresses Africa's need to achieve food sovereignty by utilizing the African Continental Free Trade Area to cut 100 billion USD in annual food imports.
AUC's Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) Commissioner, Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, told The Ethiopian Herald that Africa must work towards food sovereignty by maximizing intra-continental trade and reducing its reliance on external food sources.
She stressed that ensuring food security for Africa's projected 2.4 billion population by 2050 is crucial.
Africa currently faces severe food insecurity, with 282 million people suffering from hunger--an increase of 57 million since the COVID-19 pandemic. The continent has the highest hunger rate globally, affecting 20% of its population, compared to a global average of 10%. Furthermore, over a billion people are unable to afford a healthy diet, she stated.
"The main triggers of Africa's food crisis include internal conflicts such as the war in Sudan, global crises like the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and worsening economic conditions such as inflation, which makes food unaffordable," Josefa explained.
However, she highlighted that a key achievement of the current African Union administration is the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2026) and the associated "Kampala CAADP Declaration," which were endorsed by African Heads of State in January 2025 in Kampala, Uganda. She noted that the strategy shifts focus from traditional agriculture to a broader agri-food systems transformation, outlining key actions to make Africa food sovereign.
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In July 2016, African Heads of State adopted a 0.2% levy on eligible imports to ensure timely and full payment of AU membership contributions, the Commissioner recalled. The decision aims to provide the AU with sustainable, predictable, and accountable financing.
"This decision has yet to be fully implemented. If funding shortfalls persist, the AU's financial independence--and, by extension, Africa's ownership of its development agenda--will remain a mirage," Josefa warned.
She also noted that donor dependence remains a major challenge for the AU, adding that despite progress, member states contribute only a small fraction of the AU's budget. Currently, 75% of AU funding comes from external partners, primarily the European Union (EU) and the United Nations.
With donor funding becoming increasingly uncertain, Josefa urged African nations to diversify their financial partnerships, looking beyond traditional donors and strengthening ties with China and Arab countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
Recently, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced his administration's decision to disband USAID, which will have negative impacts on African countries.
