Durban: The Group of 20 (G20) Agriculture Working Group meeting opened in Durban, South Africa to discuss the macroeconomic factors driving food prices and affecting access to domestic and global food supplies. Officials will also look at policy and investment strategies that support inclusive market access and strengthen food and nutrition security.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, who opened the three-day meeting, urged the international community to work together to address food insecurity, climate volatility, and systemic exclusion, which continue to threaten the stability of global food systems. He highlighted that South Africa is facing rising input costs, unpredictable climate shocks, and constrained fiscal spaces.
Steenhuisen emphasized that the solution lies in technology and innovation transfer, particularly to bridge the gap between those who invent and those who need access to those inventions. He stated that countries must build system
s capable of feeding the world without destroying the ecosystems that support them. He reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to an approach that is inclusive, transparent, and focused on action.
As the host country and chair of this working group, Steenhuisen expressed South Africa’s dedication to ensuring that the group becomes a platform for collective ambition, practical collaboration, and long-term transformation. He expressed optimism that through cooperation, a future can be built where agriculture contributes not only to nourishment but also to economies, ecosystems, and futures.
Various working groups of the G20 have been holding meetings in South Africa since the country assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year. South Africa is set to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November.