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Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says South Africa’s presidency of the G20 comes at a crucial time. Steenhuisen says the world’s food systems are threatened by food insecurity, climate volatility and systemic exclusion.
He was addressing delegates at the opening of the G20 meetings of the Agriculture Working Group and Food Security Task Force in Durban on Wednesday.
However, Steenhuisen says this urgent crisis can be addressed through technological capacity, scientific insight and a shared policy platform.
The three-day session aims to advance global collaboration on food security and agricultural development. It takes place on a continent where it’s said one in every five people has no food.
South Africa is driving the discussions on four priority areas. These are: promoting policies and investments that drive inclusive market participation and empowering youth and women in agrifood systems.
They also include fostering innovation and technology transfer and building climate resilience for sustainable agricultural production.
“There is no overstating the role agriculture plays in our world. It feeds families, fuels economies, and stabilises communities. But to unlock its full potential, we must move beyond good intentions, beyond rhetoric and toward the practical collaboration that enables lasting change. We must be honest, the benefits of agricultural development have not been shared equally. not within countries, and not between them. This is our opportunity to rectify structures that keep the majority of producers – women and young people – on the margins of the sector,” Steenhuisen explains.
Steenhuisen also addresses the potential loss of South Africa’s access to the US market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act. He says South Africa needs to start looking at a post-AGOA environment.
He says his department is exploring options for a favourable trade deal. “We would seek to retain access to the us market on a favourable basis for south african agricultural goods our goal is to have the 30 percent tariff lowered dramatically hopefully to no tariffs but if we are to have tariffs hopefully keep it at a low 10 percent and bring some equality against our competitors and we believe this will be in the united states’ interest as well because they receive excellent quality agricultural products from South Africa.”
Steenhuisen says he believes the value of the G20 Forum lies not in the number of resolutions passed when it’s over, but in what policies are implemented, what partnerships are built, and what resources are mobilised.
