By Grace Musimami & Collin Chemutai
African Agriculture subregional organisations have been urged to fast-track the alignment of their strategies to the broader CAADP agenda and the food system resilience program. in a statement read for the Commissioner of the African Union Commission (AUC), Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), His Excellency Moses Vilakati at the opening of a three-day multistakeholder workshop on strengthening research, extension and development being held in kampala from the 21st to 23rd December 2025.
In the statement read by Mr Kenedy Ayason, the project lead for the Food System Resilience Program, the commissioner noted that it was imperative to ensure all regional organisations align with the African Union agendas.
“This workshop is not a routine technical meeting. It is a strategic moment for Africa. A moment to consolidate the achievements of the CAADP XP4 Programme. A moment to align our institutions and investments with the FSRP. And a moment to design a continental R E D ecosystem that is integrated, digitally enabled, climate smart, and market driven.” Said His Excellency Vilakati.
Participants pose for a group photo at the AUC Multistakeholder workshop on strengthening R-E-D
The commissioner further said that Africa’s food systems are under immense pressure. Climate shocks, market disruptions, conflict, and global supply chain volatility continue to expose structural vulnerabilities in our production systems. Yet, at the same time, we stand at the threshold of unprecedented opportunity. Digital innovation is accelerating. Youth-led agripreneurship is rising. He revealed that the African Continental Free Trade Area was opening new frontiers for intra-African trade. And through the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), we now have a continental platform to strengthen preparedness, build resilience, and drive long-term transformation.
The multistakeholder meeting brought together key stakeholders from all-over Africa to design a next-generation Research, Extension, and Development (R-E-D) architecture. The African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE), is convening this event to provide strategic direction, foster inclusive dialogue, and ensure alignment with continental priorities.
Dr Lilian Lihasi Kidula, the AFAAS Executive Director, welcomed partners to Uganda, saying AFAAS supported the preparations for the meeting because of the fact that extension is an integrator of other systems and actors. She further emphasised that there was a need to work as partners to drive the continental agenda.
Dr. Lillian Lihasi Kidula of AFAAS
“Extension is a system integrator, and we must value every component. This calls for integration and collaboration while recognising the subsidiary principle, through AEAs policy meets practice, research meets realities and innovation meets farmers, agri-enterprenuer and Markets,” said Dr Lihasi
She then welcomed all participants to Uganda and said it was important to note that the workshop being held in Kampala aligns with the fact that the city is now recognised for its leadership in regional agricultural policy and innovation, and the site of the landmark Kampala CAADP Declaration, this meeting should have record impacts in its outcomes as we drive into the new CAADP agenda come 2026
Mr Kennedy Ayason told participants that the goal of this meeting is to align research, extension, and innovation efforts with FSRP’s priorities, which include resilience, preparedness, digital innovation, and regional market integration to drive Africa’s agricultural transformation.
Mr. Kennedy Ayason of AUC
“This workshop is therefore not a routine technical meeting. It is a strategic moment for Africa. A moment to consolidate the achievements of the CAADP XP4 Programme. A moment to align our institutions and investments with the FSRP. And a moment to design a continental R E D ecosystem that is integrated, digitally enabled, climate smart, and market driven.” Adds Kenedy.
Dr Aggrey Agumya, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Executive Director, appreciated participants for their sacrifice in attending to Africa’s development issues during the festive season, saying that for Africa to attain its set goals, there was a need to make sacrifices and do business differently.
Dr. Aggrey Agumya
“But beyond frameworks and declarations, what we seek is impact for the smallholder farmer, the young innovator, the woman entrepreneur, the agribusiness investor, and the millions of Africans whose livelihoods depend on agriculture. Let us therefore approach this workshop with ambition, with unity of purpose, and with a shared commitment to building resilient, competitive, and food-secure African food systems.” Adds Dr Agumya.
Dr Agumya further revealed that Digital advisory services, AI-enabled early warning systems, interoperable knowledge platforms, and climate-resilient technologies are no longer optional—they are the new frontier of agricultural development. Adding that through the AU Digital Agriculture Strategy, KM4AgD, and the FSRP, there was an opportunity to build a continental digital ecosystem that empowers farmers, strengthens institutions, and enhances preparedness for shocks
ASARECA ED Dr. Dickson Baguma
The ASARECA executive director, Dr Dickson Baguma, emphasised the fact that Research must inform extension. Extension must empower farmers. Farmer feedback must shape adaptive research. And production must connect seamlessly to processing and structured markets.saying this continuum from research to markets was the engine of Africa’s agricultural transformation,
Participants at the meeting
The three day meeting also aims to review the XP4 bilan, design an integrated R E D framework, strengthen extension systems, explore digital pathways, and validate investment and market integration roadmaps. The outputs of this workshop will feed directly into continental policy processes, including CAADP, the AU Digital Strategy, and the FSRP implementation architecture.
The workshop is designed to advance Africa’s agricultural transformation by leveraging the strengths of subregional research organisations (SROs) in research, extension, and development (R-E-D)
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