Africa’s Malabo Declaration: Progress Made, But Hunger Still Persists, CLARS Co-PI Finds

Bruges, Belgium — June 11, 2025 — A new study led by Chibuzor Charles Ubah and Nidhi Nagabhatla, CLARS C0-PI and researcher with the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), casts a critical spotlight on Africa’s journey toward eliminating hunger under the Malabo Declaration. The findings suggest that while many African Union (AU) member states have made advances in agricultural governance and policy, the region remains off track to meet its target of eradicating hunger by 2025.

Adopted in 2014, the Malabo Declaration reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to achieving food and nutrition security within a decade. However, the new research underscores a growing disconnect between progress in non-hunger sectors — such as agricultural finance, trade, and institutional development — and actual reductions in hunger levels.

Using a random effects panel regression model across data from 55 African countries between 2017 and 2023, the study analyzed the Biennial Review C-scores from the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The goal: to identify whether performance in non-hunger indicators could predict progress in Commitment 3, the declaration’s central hunger reduction goal.

The results revealed five statistically significant predictors associated with hunger reduction outcomes: agricultural GDP and poverty reduction, foreign private investment, multi-stakeholder coordination, inclusive public–private partnerships, and trade policy. Interestingly, while investments in climate resilience and capacity for planning and monitoring showed some associations, they were not as impactful.

Yet, the authors argue, strong institutional presence alone is insufficient. “Our findings suggest that structure, inclusiveness, and functionality matter more than mere institutional existence,” said lead author Ubah. “The key question is whether these mechanisms influence decisions and actually reach the food-insecure populations they are designed to help.”

The study found that even countries with high performance scores in several thematic areas failed to reduce hunger when implementation was fragmented or disconnected from local realities. The researchers warn that current methods of measuring progress may mask on-the-ground challenges and fail to capture whether interventions are truly effective.

As the region approaches the 2025 deadline, the researchers call for a post-2025 agenda that directly links agricultural transformation with hunger eradication. This includes targeted interventions, stronger accountability frameworks, and adaptive policy design tailored to local needs.

“This isn’t just about tracking policy milestones. It’s about ensuring that agricultural investments translate into full plates and nourished communities,” said Nagabhatla.

The findings serve as a wake-up call for African governments and international partners. With less than a year to the 2025 target, the need for data-driven, context-sensitive action has never been more urgent.

Read more here: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7086/5/2/23