G20 agriculture ministers called to support chief scientists’ recommendations

By Maile Matsimela

The G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) has officially called on the G20 Agriculture Ministers to support the recommendations that emerged from their recent gathering. The meeting was hosted by the Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and took place from 26 to 29 May 2025 at the Ranch Hotel in Polokwane, Limpopo.

The meeting focused on six key thematic areas for discussion: 

1. The transformation of agrifood systems
2. Stewardship of biodiversity, genetic and natural resources
3. Soil health and sustainable management
4. Reinforcing climate-smart agriculture for resilience in food systems
5. Building resilient agricultural bio-economies
6. Digital agriculture and the adoption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies

During her keynote address, Nokuzola Capa, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the critical importance of transforming agrifood systems to achieve global food and nutrition security targets as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. “We are all aware that agriculture and food systems are central to global food and nutrition security. We are also aware of the more than 700 million people who experience hunger across the globe, with Africa being the worst affected,” she stated.

Dr. Litha Magingxa, President and CEO of the ARC, acknowledged the valuable role played by scientists in the agricultural sector, emphasising that “the role of agricultural scientists cannot be overstated; scientific evidence must be used to provide solutions to the farming communities.”

The meeting produced a communiqué recognising the urgency of strengthening agricultural research, innovation, collaboration and partnerships for sustainable agriculture and food systems transformation. The document also acknowledged the role of farmers and indigenous knowledge as key contributors to research and innovation.

Additionally, the communiqué emphasised the importance of free, independent science to support agriculture and food systems, adhering to the highest ethics and integrity standards in challenging existing knowledge and generating new insights. The MACS noted that freedom of science must apply to the choice of research questions, research methods, and the communication of findings.

This communiqué will be formally presented at the upcoming G20 Ministerial meeting scheduled for September 2025.

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