By Invitation

Too many people in SA still do not get enough to eat. To attain ‘zero-hunger’, organisations such as Grain SA need to work with government to ensure enough affordable food for our nation, says Derek Hanekom, deputy minister of science and technology.

Bonani Nyhodo, researcher at the National Agricultural Marketing Council, says EU-Africa trade liberalisation will be of little benefit to the continent. Africa must build its infrastructure and trade internally.

It’s crucial for farmers to know what’s expected of them once the proposed land legislation becomes law. Land occupiers will be given greater rights, but it’s not all bad news, says labour and land lawyer Rob McCarthy of McCarthy and Associates in KwaZulu-Natal.

Transnet’s proposed 18,06% increase in port dues will probably be implemented by the middle of the year. Mihalis Chasomeris, economics lecturer at the Graduate School of Business & Leadership, University of KZN, explains how South Africa’s port pricing is impeding trade.

Dinga Fatman, researcher at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies, warns that Geographic Indication is not a quick fix to your bottom line.

Various challenges are expected in agriculture for the year ahead. The local economy is faced with addressing unemployment while also attempting to achieve economic growth. The Agricultural Business Chamber recently released its expectations for 2012.

Because food prices are a combination of many factors, they’re a good indicator of a country’s economy. What’s more, food inflation affects different consumers very differently. For the affluent, food accounts for a small part of their salaries, while the poorest can spend over a third of their income to feed their families. An inability to put food on the table will increase social grievances, which will affect the ANC’s popularity, says Saliem Fakir, an independent columnist for the SA Civil Society Information Service.

There should be no dispute regarding the ultimate objective of agricultural development. If it's not possible to work together, and if role players have divergent motives and hidden agendas, the country is going to be in big trouble, says Agri SA president Johannes Möller.

The rejection of a merger between Pioneer Hi-Bred and SA's Pannar Seed is based on fallacious assumptions and will deprive South Africa of affordable seed technology, thus affecting food security, contends the former chief executive officer of Grain SA, Dr Kobus Laubscher

Year after year, commercial farmers prove their worth by feeding the nation. Yet they remain the target of ANC politicians determined to force through unworkable ideologies. This is a grave threat to food security and even political stability. Ben Marais, president of TAU SA, explains.

Stereotypical ideas about farmers and agriculture have resulted in many unfavourable decisions in parliament regarding the sector. Dr Pieter Mulder, deputy minister of agriculture, explains why these stereotypes must be abolished before commercial agriculture can grow.

With the planet's human population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, agriculture must rise to the challenge of meeting the massive demand for food. Professor Aidan Connolly, vice-president of corporate accounts at multi-national animal nutrition company, Alltech Inc, shares his thoughts on the subject