AgriSA defends exports as SAHRC probes food security

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has turned its attention to the role of commercial agriculture, with commissioners questioning AgriSA’s stance on food affordability, land reform, farm worker welfare and transformation.

AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé and its legal and policy executive Janse Rabie appeared before the commission on Wednesday during day three of the second leg of the national food system inquiry.

The third day of the inquiry focused on whether South Africa’s food system is doing enough to ensure everyone has access to nutritious food, despite the country producing enough food and exporting large volumes of agricultural products.

According to Kotzé, the role of commercial agriculture in the country’s food system is important.

Responding to questions about whether domestic food needs should take priority over export markets, Kotzé said exports were essential to sustaining farming businesses and strengthening rural economies rather than competing with local food security.

“The way agriculture developed in South Africa is through the exports that we did. Export is one of the channels that brings money back into our rural economies,” Kotzé said.

He said farmers in smaller towns cannot rely only on local markets because demand is limited, making exports necessary to keep businesses operating and creating employment.

Commissioners noted that AgriSA monitors food security trends and asked whether it also tracks if farm workers earn enough to afford a nutritious food basket.

Kotzé admitted the organisation does not have that data.

“It would be wonderful to know whether there is food security strain for each and every individual farm worker in South Africa,” he said.

He argued, however, that employment growth in agriculture suggests the sector continues to provide sustainable livelihoods.

“The agricultural sector increased to about 950,000 farm workers during the last financial year. I don’t think there is a farmer in South Africa who wants his farm worker to arrive at work with an empty stomach,” he said.

The commission urged AgriSA to consider monitoring food security among farm workers in future.

Much of the hearing centred on transformation and the legacy of apartheid in agriculture.

Commissioners questioned how AgriSA could contribute meaningfully to transformation while saying it preferred not to focus on race.

We need to grow agriculture organically. We need to have more farmers. More unproductive land needs to be turned into productive systems.

—  AgriSA CEO Johann Kotzé

Kotzé said AgriSA fully supports transformation but believes its primary responsibility is farming.

“Our business is farming, not politics,” he said.

He said AgriSA sees transformation as adapting agriculture to meet the country’s changing needs while recognising South Africa’s history.

“I am a South African. I do acknowledge race, I do acknowledge our history and I do acknowledge the transformation that needs to happen,” Kotzé said.

The commission requested that AgriSA provide supplementary information on the racial and gender demographics of its approximately 15,000 members.

Kotzé said the organisation does not currently collect those figures, but promised to do its best to obtain them.

Land reform was another issue raised at the hearing.

Kotzé told the commission that AgriSA supports land reform but believes it should be implemented within the Constitution and in a way that protects food production.

“Land reform is a high priority within AgriSA. We understand and appreciate the political difficulty of the land question in South Africa,” he said.

He added that South Africa needs more productive farmland and more farmers to strengthen food security.

“We need to grow agriculture organically. We need to have more farmers. More unproductive land needs to be turned into productive systems,” Kotzé said.

Commissioners also questioned AgriSA about farm evictions following government’s announcement of a moratorium in 2025.

While Kotzé said the organisation had no formal position on the moratorium itself, he stressed that AgriSA would never defend unlawful evictions.

He said AgriSA believes in protecting the dignity of everyone involved in food production, especially farm workers.

The commission further requested AgriSA to submit additional written responses, including a position paper on farm evictions by July 24.

The commission also stressed to AgriSA to conduct farm monitoring visits to help the inquiry better understand conditions on farms and how food security can be improved across the country.