Cobus van Coller opened the session with a candid observation: “We don’t have a benchmark in South Africa about where we are regarding conservation agriculture and sustainability. How can we measure it?” His call to action was clear: sustainability must be trackable to be achievable. Van Coller emphasised that collaboration across the sector is essential: “We must develop something where we can measure sustainability and its implementation. For this, we need all the parties to get involved.”
Jolanda Andrag echoed this sentiment. “Even in the absence of a standard, it is important to say that farmers do know what to focus on, because of the standards set in the procurement industry,” she said. However, she stressed the need for a unified effort: “We need to work towards alignment between the different parties involved.”
Herman de Kock brought a financial perspective, highlighting the need for a strategic mindset. “We need to apply a balanced strategic view on investment in sustainability in your farming operation and ultimately how that ensures improvement of your bottom line,” he said. “In other words, sustain your business but also contribute to food security.”
For van Coller, the issue is generational. “If you don’t adapt to changes, you won’t make it. If you don’t adapt now, your children won’t have a future on the farm,” he warned. He also raised a vital equity concern: “If a commercial farmer is not making it, how will a small-scale farmer make it?” The solution, he suggested, lies in adapting profitable models for broader application: “We need to look at commercial farming. How can they be sustainable and profitable? Then we should adapt it for small-scale farming to help them.”
Prof. Danie Jordaan emphasised that smallholders face even greater risks from climate change and market volatility. “Our smaller operations are as exposed or perhaps even more exposed to these risks,” he noted. Their fragility makes them especially vulnerable and places them at the centre of any truly inclusive sustainability strategy. “We must find ways, either through organised structures or a global scale of market access, to keep everybody on track. We can’t leave the smaller organisations behind.”
Looking at the current economic climate, Anlie Hattingh posed a pressing question: “Given the context, Covid, the Ukraine war, the fertiliser crisis, who ultimately foots the bill for sustainability? Is it the farmer or the consumer?” With input costs surging, she argued, farmers can’t carry the financial burden alone.
Dr Jordaan agreed. “There is definitely a cost for each stakeholder in the value chain to change our practices to be more sustainable. To make sure it is split in a fair way is a challenge.”
Van Coller added that public awareness must play a part: “We must educate the consumers to realise that the food they are getting in South Africa is excellent. They won’t get better overseas.” He emphasised that South African food is not only safe but plentiful, and that it “deserves a premium.” He urged the government to play its part: “The government should protect the borders of South Africa and protect our farmers in South Africa to be sustainable.”
As Herman de Kock pointed out, sustainable agriculture is not just about local gains. “Sustainable practices are not only for local benefit,” he said. “It makes the produce more competitive on a global scale.” Farmers who integrate sustainability into their operations are not just future-proofing their businesses but positioning themselves for international success.
Andrag added that financial reward systems are within reach but depend on good data and collaboration. “The innovations that reward farmers for the sustainable things they are doing require data,” she explained. “And that requires alignment across the segments of the value chain.” She insisted that the sector must not settle for slow progress: “We should not resign to the reality that we will not get to a point where we will be able to reward farmers. It needs to be stated: there are cash and non-cash benefits.”
The discussion concluded with a clear message: sustainability is not an isolated effort. It demands cooperation, innovation, education, and most importantly, action. From financial institutions to consumers, from government to producers, everyone has a role in making South African agriculture more resilient and competitive in a changing world.