Resilient food systems and agriculture will define Africa’s future over the next five years and into the future. With climate pressures mounting and demand for food surging, the continent’s ability to feed itself and the world depends on urgent, co-ordinated action.
On September 17, B20 SA and Absa co-hosted a high-level B20-G20 ministerial dialogue titled “Building resilient food systems across Africa”. The event brought together business leaders, policymakers and agribusiness stakeholders to advance the recommendations of the B20 Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture Task Force, recently submitted to the G20 presidency.
These recommendations are not aspirational. They are grounded in the realities of African agriculture and offer a practical roadmap to unlock the continent’s potential as a global driver of food security, trade and economic resilience.
Minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen emphasised the importance of partnerships to bring the much-needed change. “Our goal is to ensure that capital flows at the scale, speed and integrity needed to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems. This means translating intent into investment, where every rand deployed attracts more rand, derisks more production, delivers more nutrition per litre of water, per kilowatt of energy and per hectare of land.
“The stakes are high. Too many families are facing food insecurity, while producers, especially women, youth and smallholders, struggle to secure the finance that would allow them to innovate, adapt and thrive. At the same time, demand is growing and supply chains are rapidly transforming. This is where the G20’s policy levers and the B20’s balance sheets must meet: to connect innovation with impact and policy with pipelines. That is the spirit of SA’s G20 agriculture agenda: inclusion, innovation, climate resilience and outcomes that people can feel in their daily lives.”
The B20 SA Task Force’s blueprint calls for strengthening agrifood supply chains, scaling climate-smart practices and closing the $180bn agrifood financing gap. It also highlights the need for inclusive growth, particularly for women and youth and for harmonised trade and regulatory frameworks that allow African farmers to compete globally.
Kenny Fihla, CEO of Absa Group, underscored the role of finance, innovation and collaboration: “Modern agriculture demands modern tools. From AI to bio-based inputs, we must ensure that farmers, especially smallholders, have access to the technologies and capital that reduce risk and lift productivity. Finance must be matched by innovation and innovation must be inclusive. That is why partnerships matter. When financial institutions, agritech platforms and policymakers work together, we unlock real transformation.
“The Khula app, which we invest in, is a powerful example: it connects farmers to markets, inputs and finance in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago. Africa’s agricultural future is not just about productivity. It is about resilience, equity and opportunity. With cereal demand projected to rise 40% by 2050 and climate-related losses threatening billions in damages, the stakes are high. But so is the potential.”
Mildred Nadah Pita, deputy chair of the B20 SA Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture Task Force, reflected on the journey so far: “When you cultivate the land, you understand that a successful harvest is never guaranteed. Equally, the importance of preparation is recognised. These recommendations stem from extensive global collaboration and thoughtful analysis and they are poised for implementation. The real question is whether we will act now or allow others to reap the benefits.
The B20-G20 ministerial dialogue served as a platform to galvanise action, align stakeholders and ensure that Africa’s agricultural transformation is not just envisioned, but realised.
This article was sponsored by B20 SA.
