SADC urged to fast-track fertiliser reforms as food insecurity persists
Addressing ministers responsible for agriculture, food security, fisheries and aquaculture, Steenhuisen said food insecurity, fertiliser supply disruptions and animal disease outbreaks continued to threaten livelihoods, trade and agricultural production across the region.
Food insecurity remains a regional challenge
While recent regional assessments indicate improvements in cereal production and food security compared to the previous drought-affected season, significant challenges remain.
According to Steenhuisen, an estimated 58 million people across SADC member states continue to face acute food insecurity due to affordability and access constraints.
"The issues before us go to the heart of the daily lives of our people. Food security, agricultural production, animal health, fisheries and rural livelihoods are not abstract policy discussions."
He said rising fertiliser costs, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and climate-related disasters were placing increasing strain on food systems across the region.
Calls grow for fertiliser reform
A key focus of South Africa's intervention was the need to accelerate the harmonisation of fertiliser regulations across SADC.
Steenhuisen argued that fragmented standards, duplicated registration systems and regulatory bottlenecks were increasing costs for farmers and limiting regional trade.
He urged member states to fast-track the proposed Memorandum of Understanding on the Harmonisation of Fertiliser Regulatory Frameworks ahead of the current 2027 timeline.
“This is not simply a technical regulatory exercise. It is a food security imperative, a productivity imperative and increasingly a strategic resilience imperative for the entire region.”
According to Steenhuisen, a harmonised framework would improve fertiliser availability and affordability, strengthen investment certainty and support regional production capacity.
Foot-and-mouth disease demands regional action
The minister also highlighted the growing threat posed by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), noting that 11 SADC member states have reported outbreaks.
He warned that animal disease outbreaks affect not only livestock producers but also food affordability, export earnings, market access and rural livelihoods.
“South Africa has learnt through painful experience that FMD cannot be managed through fragmented national responses alone. Animal diseases do not respect borders.”
Steenhuisen welcomed plans to develop a regional coordination framework for FMD control, saying stronger surveillance, information sharing, traceability systems and coordinated vaccination efforts would be essential.
Building resilience through cooperation
The minister said regional food security depended on stronger cooperation between governments, institutions and the private sector.
He called for renewed focus on agricultural transformation through increased investment, trade integration, climate resilience, modernised sanitary and phytosanitary systems, and greater participation by women and young people in the agricultural economy.
“If we are serious about food security and economic growth in Southern Africa, then agricultural transformation cannot remain an aspiration. It must become a measurable regional growth strategy rooted in execution, competitiveness and regional cooperation.”
Steenhuisen said SADC had an opportunity not only to respond to immediate challenges but also to strengthen the long-term resilience and competitiveness of agriculture across the region.