With less than five years remaining until the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) deadline in 2030, South Africa, as the 2025 G20 chair, faces the urgent challenge of addressing rising global poverty, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Agriculture, a cornerstone of the country’s economy, is pivotal in achieving sustainability. Singh, as referenced in the provided context, outlined six priority areas for sustainable development: biodiversity and conservation, soil and water sustainability, chemicals and waste management, climate change, air quality, and oceans and coastal areas. These priorities provide a roadmap for transforming South African agriculture into a more sustainable sector. Below, we explore actionable strategies, grounded in these priorities, to ensure a resilient and environmentally responsible agricultural future, supported by scientific insights, regional case studies, and practical recommendations.
Biodiversity and Conservation: Leveraging the Bio-Economy. Agriculture in South Africa can enhance sustainability by prioritizing biodiversity and combating environmental crimes such as poaching, illegal deforestation, and wildlife trafficking. The bio-economy—utilizing natural resources like wildlife, indigenous plants, and sustainable livestock systems—offers opportunities to strengthen rural livelihoods while preserving ecosystems.
- Strategies:
- Promote Agroecology: Encourage agroecological practices that integrate indigenous crops (e.g., sorghum, millet) and livestock systems to enhance biodiversity. For example, crop diversification can reduce pest pressure and improve soil health, as seen in regenerative potato farming initiatives.
- Combat Environmental Crime: Strengthen partnerships with law enforcement to monitor and curb illegal activities like poaching, which disrupt ecosystems critical for pollination and pest control. The Department of Agriculture’s collaboration with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on rural safety can serve as a model.
- Support Indigenous Communities: Invest in community-based conservation projects, such as those in the Karoo, where wool festivals like the 2025 Karoo Winter Wool Festival promote sustainable natural fiber production, creating jobs and preserving biodiversity.
- Case Study: The Karoo Winter Wool Festival highlights how natural fibers like wool can drive socio-economic benefits while promoting sustainable land use. By integrating biodiversity-friendly practices, such as rotational grazing, farmers can maintain grasslands that support diverse species.
- Strategies:
- Regenerative Agriculture: Adopt practices like minimal tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation, as seen in regenerative potato farming. These methods reduce soil erosion, improve water retention, and sequester carbon. For instance, cover crops used in potato systems can increase soil organic matter by up to 1% annually, enhancing water-holding capacity.
- Precision Irrigation: Implement drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting to optimize water use, especially in drought-prone areas. The 2024–25 season’s recovery in maize production (14.78 million tonnes, up 15%) was supported by improved groundwater levels, underscoring the importance of water management.
- Restoration Initiatives: Support programs to rehabilitate degraded land through reforestation and contour plowing. The Department of Agriculture’s research into soil health, as noted in regenerative farming efforts, can guide these initiatives.
- Case Study: In the Free State, farmers adopting no-till practices reported a 20% reduction in soil erosion and a 15% increase in water retention, boosting maize yields despite erratic rainfall. Scaling such practices can enhance resilience.
- Strategies:
- Reduce Chemical Inputs: Shift to biofertilizers, compost, and integrated pest management (IPM) to minimize chemical runoff. The regenerative potato farming model demonstrates how organic inputs can maintain yields while reducing environmental harm.
- Waste-to-Energy Initiatives: Convert agricultural waste (e.g., crop residues) into biogas or bioenergy, as explored in some South African pilot projects. This reduces landfill waste and provides renewable energy for farms.
- Plastic Pollution Mitigation: Support the adoption of biodegradable mulch films and reusable packaging to reduce plastic waste in agriculture. Farmer awareness campaigns, as mentioned by Minister Steenhuisen, can promote compliance with extended producer responsibility regulations.
- Case Study: In Kenya’s Kisii County, table banking enables women farmers to access loans for sustainable inputs, reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. Similar models in South Africa could empower smallholders to adopt eco-friendly practices.
- Strategies:
- Climate-Resilient Crops: Invest in precision breeding and genome editing, as discussed by Dr. Geoff Graham at the 2025 SANSOR Congress, to develop maize, sunflower, and soybean varieties with heat tolerance and disease resistance. These crops can maintain yields under temperatures exceeding 25°C.
- Carbon-Smart Practices: Promote carbon sequestration through regenerative practices like cover cropping and agroforestry. Studies show that increasing soil carbon by 1% can sequester 3.67 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare, contributing to climate goals.
- Climate Financing: Advocate for accessible climate funds to support smallholder farmers in adopting technologies like solar-powered irrigation. The 2025 FINAS summit in Nairobi highlighted the need for such financing to close gaps for agri-SMEs.
- Case Study: Corteva Agriscience’s work on high-oilseed crops for sustainable aviation fuel demonstrates how agriculture can align with renewable energy goals, reducing carbon emissions while maintaining economic viability.
- Strategies:
- Reduce Burning: Encourage alternatives to crop residue burning, such as composting or biochar production, to lower particulate emissions. Pilot projects in the Western Cape have shown a 30% reduction in air pollution from such practices.
- Low-Emission Inputs: Promote low-volatile organic compound (VOC) pesticides and fertilizers to improve air quality. Farmer training, as seen in BKB’s youth programs, can raise awareness of these practices.
- Monitoring Systems: Implement air quality monitoring on farms to track emissions and guide mitigation efforts, aligning with Singh’s call for health-climate synergies.
- Case Study: In India, programs replacing stubble burning with residue mulching have reduced air pollution by 15% in agricultural regions. South Africa can adapt similar strategies to improve rural air quality.
- Strategies:
- Sustainable Aquaculture: Develop eco-friendly fish farming to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems, as seen in some Eastern Cape initiatives. This supports job creation and food security.
- Plastic Reduction: Encourage coastal farmers to adopt biodegradable packaging for produce exports, aligning with the global plastic pollution treaty. The Karoo Winter Wool Festival’s focus on natural fibers offers a model for sustainable materials.
- Marine-Smart Agriculture: Promote practices like mangrove restoration in coastal areas to protect against erosion and support fisheries, enhancing livelihoods.
- Case Study: Cameroon’s land security project near Bertoua provides affordable land to boost local food production, a model South Africa’s coastal regions could adapt to integrate agriculture with marine conservation.
Sustainable agriculture – new, efficient and climate positive
- Land Access Inequalities: As noted, 70% of African family farming is done by women, yet less than 20% have full land access. South Africa’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Act (2018) and land reform initiatives must prioritize women and youth to ensure equitable access, as seen in Kenya’s table banking model.
- Financial Constraints: Smallholder farmers need better access to climate financing and insurance, as highlighted at the 2025 FINAS summit. Public-private partnerships can bridge this gap.
- Policy and Education Gaps: Christine van Zyl’s call for IP education for smallholders underscores the need for broader awareness of sustainable practices. Government-led campaigns, like those for animal identification, can be expanded to cover regenerative techniques.
- Trade Uncertainties: The U.S.’s 30% tariff threat, delayed to 1 August 2025, could disrupt agricultural exports under AGOA. Diversifying markets, as South Africa is pursuing, and leveraging regional trade (e.g., with Africa, as per the Unctad report) can mitigate risks.
- Policy Support: Fast-track regulations for genome-edited crops and climate financing, as suggested by Dr. Graham, to support innovation.
- Farmer Empowerment: Expand training and financial access for smallholders, particularly women and youth, to adopt sustainable practices.
- Public-Private Collaboration: Strengthen partnerships, as seen in the Karoo Winter Wool Festival and Transnet’s state support, to fund infrastructure and research.
- Global Engagement: Use South Africa’s G20 chairmanship to advocate for climate financing and trade agreements that protect agricultural exports.
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