AgriSA engages at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, to advance climate resilience and agricultural competitiveness | AgriSA neem deel aan COP30 in Belém, Brasilië, om klimaatveerkragtigheid en landboumededingendheid te bevorder

4 November 2025

AgriSA is proud to attend and represent its members at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. This global gathering comes at a critical moment for agriculture, as producers across the world confront the escalating impacts of climate change, shifting trade requirements, and rising expectations for sustainability across value chains.

Climate change: A daily reality for South African farmers

Drawing on insights from the recent AgriSA Atlas Congress and the experiences of farmers across the country, AgriSA emphasises that climate change is no longer a future risk; its effects are already reshaping South Africa’s agricultural landscape. Severe weather events, prolonged droughts, biosecurity threats, and volatile production conditions have become defining features of South African farming.

A value chain mobilising for sustainability

“Farmers and the value chain are largely united in their experience: the climate is changing, and its impacts are real, measurable, and intensifying. Yet, South African producers are already making significant strides forward in the quest to adapt and mitigate the impact through a range of sustainability practices,” says Johann Kotzé, AgriSA Chief Executive Officer.

This is evident across ongoing efforts across the value chain:

• Seed and biotechnology innovations enabling climate-resilient cultivars.
• Cleaner fertiliser and crop-nutrition solutions.
• Energy-efficient machinery and precision agriculture.
• Lower-emission logistics systems, cold-chain improvements, and smart routing.
• Sustainability standards in production, processing, packaging, and retailing.

“It is evident that the entire food system is mobilising to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and meet the growing sustainability demands of global markets while upholding food security,” says Kotzé.

Climate policies and trade: Protecting SA’s market access

Climate policy is increasingly shaping global trade. Instruments such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and emerging climate-related market standards are rapidly becoming determinants of export competitiveness.

“South Africa, a net exporter of produce, must ensure that climate commitments, carbon accounting frameworks, and enabling policies protect access to key premium markets while opening new ones,” says Kotzé

AgriSA notes in its recent comments on the second draft Nationally Determined Contribution (the “draft NDC”) under the Paris Agreement, that the government has made progress towards strengthening national climate commitments, but stresses that implementation must be science-based, economically realistic, and aligned with food security imperatives. A credible climate policy pathway should:

• Support producers to adopt climate-smart technologies.
• Recognise agriculture’s limited short-term mitigation levers.
• Align adaptation plans with water governance, irrigation investment, and early warning systems.
• Provide clarity on carbon measurement, reporting, and certification to secure international market confidence.

Private-sector innovation will drive adaptation

Adaptation across the agricultural economy will be led largely by innovation in the private sector, especially in insurance, finance, and technology. South Africa is already seeing:

• Indexed insurance products.
• Risk-adjusted finance for resilience investments.
• New data platforms, remote sensing tools, and climate intelligence systems.
• Integrated resilience solutions for crops, livestock, infrastructure, and water use.

“These developments show that the sector can simultaneously strengthen resilience, reduce emissions intensity, and drive rural development,” says Kotzé.

A commitment to collaboration

AgriSA acknowledges the urgency of global climate action and remains a constructive partner in shaping South Africa’s national climate commitments. As the country refines its climate policies and negotiates its role in global markets, the agricultural sector must be meaningfully included, supported, and empowered to act.

“South African farmers are on the front line of climate change. Despite its challenges, agriculture continues to innovate, invest, and adapt. Alongside the global agricultural value chain, our role at COP30 is to ensure that the voice of the producer and the ongoing efforts of the entire value chain are recognised in global climate policies,” says Kotzé.

 Enquiries Jolanda Andrag, AgriSA Chief Operational Officer

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14 November 2025

AgriSA is trots om die 30ste Konferensie van die Partye (COP30) in Belém, Brasilië, by te woon en sy lede daarte verteenwoordig. Hierdie wêreldwye byeenkoms kom op ‘n kritieke tydstip vir die landbou, aangesien produsente regoor die wêreld die toenemende impak van klimaatsverandering, verskuiwende handelsvereistes en stygende verwagtinge vir volhoubaarheid oor waardekettings heen moet hanteer.

Klimaatsverandering: ‘n Daaglikse werklikheid vir Suid-Afrikaanse boere

Op grond van insigte uit die onlangse AgriSA Atlas-kongres en die werklike ervarings van boere regoor die land, beklemtoon AgriSA dat klimaatsverandering nie meer ‘n toekomstige risiko is nie, maar dat die gevolge daarvan reeds Suid-Afrika se landboulandskap hervorm. Erge weersomstandighede, langdurige droogtes, biosekuriteitsbedreigings en wisselvallige produksietoestande het bepalende kenmerke van Suid-Afrikaanse boerdery geword.

‘n Waardeketting wat mobiliseer vir volhoubaarheid

“Boere en die waardeketting is grootliks verenig in hul ervaring: die klimaat is besig om te verander, en die impak daarvan is werklik, meetbaar en verskerp. Tog maak Suid-Afrikaanse produsente reeds beduidende vordering in die strewe om die uitwerking deur ‘n reeks volhoubaarheidspraktyke aan te pas en te versag,” sê Johann Kotzé, AgriSA se hoof- uitvoerende beampte.

Dit is duidelik uit deurlopende pogings regoor die waardeketting:

• Saad- en biotegnologie-innovasies wat klimaatbestande kultivars moontlik maak.
• Oplossings vir skoner kunsmis en gewasvoeding.
• Energiedoeltreffende masjinerie en presisielandbou.
• Laer-emissie- logistieke stelsels, kouekettingverbeterings en slim roetering.
• Volhoubaarheidstandaarde in produksie, verwerking, verpakking en kleinhandel.

“Dit is duidelik dat die hele voedselstelsel saamstaan om emissies te verminder, veerkragtigheid te versterk en aan die groeiende volhoubaarheidsvereistes van wêreldmarkte te voldoen, terwyl voedselsekerheid gehandhaaf word,” sê Kotzé.

Klimaatbeleid en -handel: Beskerming van SA se marktoegang

Klimaatbeleid bepaal toenemend wêreldhandel. Instrumente soos die EU se koolstofgrens-aanpassingsmeganisme en opkomende klimaatverwante markstandaarde word vinnig determinante van uitvoermededingendheid. 2

“Suid-Afrika, ‘n netto uitvoerder van produkte, moet verseker dat klimaatsverpligtinge, koolstofrekenkundige raamwerke en bemagtigende beleide toegang tot belangrike premiemarkte beskerm terwyl nuwes ontvou,” sê Kotzé.

AgriSA merk in sy onlangse kommentaar op die Tweede Konsep- Nasionaal Bepaalde Bydrae (die “konsep-NDC”) ingevolge die Parys-ooreenkoms op dat die regering vordering gemaak het met die versterking van nasionale klimaatsverpligtinge, maar beklemtoon dat implementering wetenskap-gegrond, ekonomies realisties en in ooreenstemming met voedselsekerheids-vereistes moet wees. ‘n Geloofwaardige klimaatbeleidspad:

• Ondersteun produsente om klimaatslim tegnologieë aan te neem.
• Erken landbou se beperkte korttermynversagtingshefbome.
• Belyn aanpassingsplanne met waterbestuur, besproeiingsbelegging en vroeë waarskuwing-stelsels.
• Verskaf duidelikheid oor koolstofmeting, verslagdoening en sertifisering om internasionale markvertroue te verseker.

Innovasie in die private sektor sal aanpassing dryf

Aanpassing regoor die landbou-ekonomie sal grootliks gelei word deur innovasie in die private sektor, veral in versekering, finansies en tegnologie. Suid-Afrika sien reeds:

• Geïndekseerde versekeringsprodukte.
• Risiko-aangepaste finansiering vir veerkragtigheidsbeleggings.
• Nuwe dataplatforms, afstandswaarnemingsinstrumente en klimaat-intelligensiestelsels.
• Geïntegreerde veerkragtigheidsoplossings vir gewasse, vee, infrastruktuur en watergebruik.

“Hierdie ontwikkelings wys dat die sektor terselfdertyd veerkragtigheid kan versterk, emissie-intensiteit kan verminder en landelike ontwikkeling kan dryf,” sê Kotzé.

‘n Verbintenis tot samewerking

AgriSA erken die dringendheid van wêreldwye klimaat-aksie en bly ‘n konstruktiewe vennoot in die vorming van Suid-Afrika se nasionale klimaatverpligtinge. Namate die land sy klimaatbeleid verfyn en sy rol in globale markte onderhandel, moet die landbousektor sinvol ingesluit, ondersteun en bemagtig word om op te tree.

“Suid-Afrikaanse boere is aan die voorpunt van klimaatsverandering. Ten spyte van sy uitdagings gaan landbou voort om te innoveer, te belê en aan te pas. Saam met die wêreldwye landbouwaardeketting is ons rol by COP30 om te verseker dat die stem van die produsent en die voortgesette pogings van die hele waardeketting in globale klimaatbeleide erken word,” sê Kotzé.

Navrae Jolanda Andrag, AgriSA Hoof- Operasionele Beampte