First G20 Agriculture Working Group Meeting
The first G20 Agriculture Working Group Meeting (AWG) was convened on 3 and 4 March 2025, and was chaired by Mr Mooketsa Ramasodi, the Director-General of South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Ms Rosemary Capa, officially opened the meeting while the Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen, delivered his remarks on the second day of the meeting, noting the challenges facing farmers worldwide and calling for strengthened global cooperation, built on the principles of Ubuntu which emphasise collective action, mutual respect and shared responsibility.
The AWG meeting provided an opportunity for G20 members, including invited guest countries and international organisations, to learn more about the priorities South Africa has identified during its Presidency, and deliberate on them.
There was overwhelming support for South Africa’s priorities, namely,
- Promotion of policies and investments that drive inclusive market participation towards improved food and nutrition security;
- Empowering Youth and Women in Agrifood Systems;
- Fostering Innovation and Technology Transfer in Agriculture and Agro-processing; and
- Building climate resilience for sustainable agricultural production.
With the endorsement of these priorities, the AWG is now poised to pursue transformative agricultural policies, promoting global cooperation, increasing investment in sustainable farming, and ensuring a more resilient, food-secure future for all.
The second AWG meeting, to be held in person from 23 to 24 April 2025, in Durban, KZN, will provide a further opportunity for G20 members to advance the above-mentioned priorities and to begin discussions on a forward-looking declaration to be adopted by Ministers of Agriculture later this year.
