APD AU begins country engagement in five African states
The Agricultural policy dialogue between the African Union and Germany to strengthen the resilience of food systems in Africa (APD AU) held its official kick-off meeting on Oct 28, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda, to mark the start of country engagement in the five selected intervention countries: Kenya, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, and Cameroon.
The APD AU is funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Regional Identity (BMLEH) and implemented by the consortium IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH (lead partner), Andreas Hermes Academy (AHA), and Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).
The kick-off event took place on the sidelines of the 21st Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP) and the celebrations for the 16th Africa Day for Food and Nutrition Security (ADFNS). This year’s CAADP PP and ADFNS, convened by the AU’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (AUC-DARBE) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), focused on implementing the new agricultural policy. The discussions centred on accelerating the transformation towards fair and resilient agri-food systems to ensure food security and sustainable growth for all in Africa.
The kick-off meeting on the APD AU's country engagement was attended by H.E. Mr. Moses Vilakati, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment, as well as senior representatives from AUC-DARBE and AUDA-NEPAD. CAADP focal points from Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, and Mauritania were also present, as were representatives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), including ECCAS, SADC, and ECOWAS. They each presented the current challenges facing the implementation of agricultural policy in their countries or regions.
The aim was to analyze the current framework conditions and identify opportunities for German-African cooperation to achieve the ambitious goals of the Kampala Declaration and Commissioner Vilakati's 100-day action plan.
Several presentations provided an overview of the origins and objectives of the APD AU, the BMLEH's ongoing commitments and resources, and the measures implemented by GIZ. Representatives of the RECs and participating countries also presented their perspectives on the implementation of national agricultural policy and development strategies, including the NAIPs, and formulated their expectations for cooperation within the framework of the APD AU.
The meeting, supplemented by bilateral talks on the sidelines of the CAADP-PP, marks the start of closer cooperation between the APD AU and the intervention countries. Based on a comprehensive assessment by national experts, concrete cooperation approaches are now being developed to improve the agricultural and food sector.