Speaking during a question-and-answer session, Mooketsa Ramasodi, director general of the Department of Agriculture, acknowledged the weight of the moment.
“The real essence of why we are hosting this meeting is that food security is not only a right that is enshrined in our Constitution, but it’s also enshrined in terms of the UN Human Declaration on Human Rights, and therefore it is not a privilege.
“Each and every challenge we experience in agriculture towards food security has to be identified and there has to be solutions. Most of the solutions will be from agricultural scientists’ perspective, and that is why we have this meeting: to find solutions to the challenges we have identified,” Ramasodi said.
He confirmed that all G20 countries, except the US, were in attendance, alongside invited guests, international research institutions, and global partners.
Over the next three days, MACS delegates will engage in deep technical sessions and policy dialogues around six major themes: transforming agrifood systems; protecting biodiversity and soil health; scaling climate-smart agriculture; strengthening bioeconomies; expanding digital agriculture; and using 4IR technologies.
Ramasodi outlined four critical issues shaping the discussion agenda.
“Firstly, we have to ensure we have policies and strategies that will ensure we have inclusivity in agriculture. Secondly, we are dealing with the issue of empowering women and the youth. Thirdly, we have an element of ensuring that we have policies that are climate resilient and promote this in the way we practise agriculture in South Africa. And finally, there is the issue around innovation within the agricultural perspective.”
The agenda on Tuesday (27 May) will tackle digital agriculture and resilient bio-economies, with the final day set aside for finalising the summit communique, scientific demonstrations, and site visits.
Ramasodi told Farmer’s Weekly that it was imperative that South Africa repositioned how it thought about agriculture and food security.
“If we look at the definition of food security, it’s about food availability, and agriculture is the means of making food available, whether locally produced or imported. You may have food that is available, but not accessible to the people, [and this is a] problem. [It is also about] food affordability: whether people are able to afford the food that is presented to them. All of these aspects are going to be looked at.”
The meeting has been proclaimed as a foundational moment for South Africa ahead of its historic hosting of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg in November.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Rosemary Capa said the meeting is a signal of the country’s growing commitment to leading on agricultural innovation, particularly through a pan-African lens.
“South Africa’s MACS presidency is rooted in ubuntu, the principle of shared responsibility, and seeks to ensure that G20 deliberations reflect Africa’s priorities, including the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the continent’s Common Position on Food Systems.
“With over 700 million people globally suffering from hunger, and more than 282 million of them in Africa, the urgency of MACS has never been clearer.”
She added that delegates will work toward actionable policy proposals that support inclusivity, resilience, and equity in global food systems, with special focus on smallholder farmers, women, and the youth.
The event also includes exhibitions highlighting African agricultural technologies and innovations aimed at ensuring that scientific knowledge translates into tangible benefits for rural communities.
Ramasodi concluded: “This is not just about dialogue; it’s about designing science-based responses to some of the greatest food and environmental challenges of our time.”
