Food Systems and Climate Adaptation Policy Capacity Building Workshop Report

This report documents a three-day workshop focused on the intersection of climate change and South Africa's food system, specifically exploring how to use the Climate Change Act 22 of 2024 to advocate for justice-based transformations. The workshop brought together diverse stakeholders—including labour, civil society, and small-scale producers—to move beyond technical 'climate-smart' fixes toward transformative alternatives like agroecology and land reform.

• South Africa's food system is characterized as both a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and highly vulnerable to climate-driven events such as flooding, drought, extreme heat, and ocean changes. These climate pressures exacerbate existing structural issues, including precarious labour, concentrated land ownership, insecure tenure, and gendered burdens of care.
• Workshop participants critiqued mainstream climate responses in South Africa for focusing on efficiency, risk management, and 'climate-smart agriculture' within the current agricultural model. In contrast, they proposed a transformative paradigm centered on agroecology, seed sovereignty, redistributive land reform, the protection of informal food economies, and decentralized food systems.
• The Climate Change Act 22 of 2024 provides specific regulatory and participatory entry points for advocacy to ensure food systems are addressed beyond just agriculture. Key mechanisms for engagement include the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP), Sector Adaptation Plans (covering land, water, and agriculture), Sector Emissions Targets (SETs), and the Presidential Climate Commission.
• To counter corporate influence and 'tick-box' consultations in policy spaces, the workshop established principles for effective engagement. These include coordinating civil society action, building capacity prior to consultations, simplifying materials for accessibility, and maintaining persistent, relationship-based engagement.

APA

iej (2026). Food Systems and Climate Adaptation Policy Capacity Building Workshop Report. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/resource/discussion-paper/food-systems-and-climate-adaptation-policy-capacity-building-workshop-report/

Chicago

iej. Food Systems and Climate Adaptation Policy Capacity Building Workshop Report. Institute for Economic Justice, 2026. https://iej.org.za/resource/discussion-paper/food-systems-and-climate-adaptation-policy-capacity-building-workshop-report/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=iej |title=Food Systems and Climate Adaptation Policy Capacity Building Workshop Report |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=26 February 2026 |url=https://iej.org.za/resource/discussion-paper/food-systems-and-climate-adaptation-policy-capacity-building-workshop-report/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{iej2026food, author = {iej}, title = {{Food Systems and Climate Adaptation Policy Capacity Building Workshop Report}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://iej.org.za/resource/discussion-paper/food-systems-and-climate-adaptation-policy-capacity-building-workshop-report/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }