There is an urgent need to shift away from fossil fuels, with sustainable agriculture as a potential driver of economic diversification in southern Africa. With supportive frameworks such as the SADC Free Trade Area, National Development Plan 2030 (NDP) and the Climate Change Act 2024 the sector can absorb workers from traditional energy sectors and drive low-carbon development in South Africa.
Why it Matters
Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is not only an environmental imperative but also a socioeconomic one, which is critical for reducing inequality and creating jobs and improving food security. Given agriculture’s importance to sustaining livelihoods, it plays a crucial role as a cornerstone for the economy and society’s well-being. The agriculture sector employs around 920 000 people directly and is integral to the livelihoods of 20.7 % households in the country, adding R117.5 billion to the country’s GDP.
The Role of Sustainable Agriculture in Driving the Transition
Adopting sustainable agriculture can help reduce greenhouse gasses, enhance carbon sequestration, promote food, economic and environmental resilience. In addition sustainable agriculture can contribute to the creation of green jobs, through green technologies, agritech and improved investments in agricultural enterprises which can benefit both urban and rural development and boost local economies.
Key Challenges for Sustainable Agriculture
South Africa is a water scarce nation, with the country receiving around 50% less than the global average rainfall. Reliance on fossil fuels to operate farming machinery and facilities especially in the case of large scale commercial farms. This adds more hurdles to transitioning to a low-carbon economy particularly in cases when traditional sources of energy remain accessible and affordable than alternatives.
The sector also faces challenges with the implementation of policies that act as enablers for promoting sustainable agricultural policies and initiatives. When it comes to financing and small scale farmers and fisheries. For example, the policy for Small Scale Fisheries (SSF) which has not adequately addressed the needs of small scale fisheries communities in areas such as the west coast. Currently the country is only using 20% of the needed agricultural extension officers.
Adequate access to capital, climate finance and government support remain a challenge for many real smallholder farmers with government funded projects that are not well implemented. The Volksrust fish farming project in Mpumalanga being an example of failure brought by lack of effective and sufficient support and implementation. Government driven agricultural projects in South Africa often fail due to farmers’ lack of business-minded approaches, mismanagement, inadequate knowledge, and poor planning. Resource decentralisation, weak stakeholder integration, limited innovation, and insufficient capital further hinder growth, leading to unsustainable operations and financial instability.
Key Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture presents opportunities for accelerating the low carbon transition through renewable energy integration in areas of solar, win, hydro and bioenergy. Practices such as Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is an example of a growing practice, through the use of renewables, that is helping contribute to a low carbon transition and reducing reliance on fossil fuels in farms.
Green jobs through application of green technologies are enabling entrepreneurs to develop solutions such as affordable aquaponics, utilisation of water efficient irrigation systems for rural smallholder farmers. Another example of this is the integration of digital technologies to small-scale fisheries in Lambert’s Bay which has resulted in fishers being able to better access customers which can increase their role in the local food system and reduce reliance on large scale commercial fishers that contribute more to carbon emissions and environmental damage. With the adoption of these technologies climate smart agriculture solutions can increase farmers’ abilities to engage in conservation agriculture, agroforestry and conservation tillage.
Sustainable agriculture can help develop sustainable supply chains. This is important given the growing need for South Africa’s exports to meet the carbon neutral or reduced carbon standards of export markets such as the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). For South Africa to remain competitive and maintain access to such a market, its agriculture will have to develop and adopt more sustainable practices geared towards a low carbon transition. Organic wine farming is a sustainable agricultural example in which the country can make inroads, given the nation’s established wine sector, leveraging this can enable South Africa to position itself to an opportune position in what is expected to become a US $21.48 billion global industry by 2030.
Going Forward
Enhancing community engagement, developing legal protections and education and skills that support sustainable agriculture as a driver for the low-carbon transition can help local government coordination, and policy awareness which can act as critical tools to help smallholder farmers and fisheries protect their livelihoods and ecosystems. This in turn can increase adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and drive the transition.
Shifting to a low-carbon economy is not solely about environmental gains, it is also about driving socioeconomic advancement, reducing inequality, and safeguarding food security. Agriculture is at the core of livelihoods and South Africa’s economy, it presents a powerful opportunity to achieve these goals. By prioritising strategic investments, policy alignment, and community involvement, South Africa can harness sustainable agriculture to lead the transition towards a greener, more resilient, and inclusive economy.
Author: Kennedy Simango
Research Analyst
