The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has launched the IGAD Parliamentary Working Group on Agrifood Systems to strengthen political leadership in food system governance. This strategic move comes in response to growing concerns about Africa’s slow progress in achieving the targets set under the Malabo Declaration, particularly the goal of ending hunger and poverty by 2025.
At the 2024 AU Assembly, it was formally declared that Africa is off-track in meeting the 2025 targets outlined in the Malabo Declaration. The continent’s leadership responded with a new CAADP Strategy for 2026–2035, designed to foster a holistic agri-food systems approach, interweaving agriculture, nutrition, climate adaptation, and inclusive economic growth. With slow progress continuing to be seen, IGAD has decided to tackle the challenge head-on, by leveraging on parliamentarians.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the IGAD training for Ambassadors and Parliamentarians on the 31st of July, 2025, Dr. Fatuma Adan, Head of Mission for IGAD in Kenya, underscored the pivotal role of the Parliamentary Forum as a cornerstone for regional dialogue and legislative synergy. She emphasized that enhanced collaboration between national governments and parliamentary bodies is essential for advancing IGAD’s shared vision across member states.
Membership in the IGAD Parliamentary Forum will be composed of elected Members of Parliament from IGAD Member States who serve on parliamentary committees responsible for agriculture or related sectors. Each member state will be entitled to nominate two representatives to the Forum, ensuring balanced and inclusive participation across the region.
It was also agreed that the Parliamentarians must be actively engaged in legislative work that aligns with the forum’s thematic focus, particularly in agriculture and development and will meet at least twice a year or more as deemed necessary and as agreed by the chair of the Parliamentary Working Group.
As echoed by Dr. Senait Regassa, Project Coordinator of the IGAD Food System Resilience Project, the forum will offer expert input into national and regional legislation and budgets, ensuring they reflect priorities for resilience and change. Through participation in CAADP Biennial Reviews, it will promote accountability and transparency.
Moreover, the working group will collaborate with regional bodies, national focal points, and multisectoral stakeholders to drive agrifood system goals, while also engaging in high-level continental dialogues on food security and sustainable development as resources permit.
Addressing the Committee of Ambassadors and Parliamentarians, Dr. Mohi Tahomi, IGAD’s Director for Cooperation and Regional Integration, called for urgent and strategic action to strengthen agrifood systems across the Horn of Africa. He noted that to build resilience and improve performance, governments must increase agriculture budgets while enhancing regional coordination and policy alignment.