FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT

This report details a workshop held from 20 to 22 October 2025, organized by the Institute for Economic Justice to build capacity among diverse food system constituencies to engage with South Africa's Climate Change Act (CCA). The workshop focused on the intersection of climate change and food systems, the need for a just transition that prioritizes agroecology and land reform, and the specific policy entry points provided by the CCA's mandated National and Sector Adaptation Plans.

• The South African food system is both a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and acutely vulnerable to climate impacts, such as droughts, heatwaves, and flooding, which exacerbate existing inequalities related to land and resource access.
• Existing state responses, such as the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan (CCAMP) for agriculture, are criticized for being top-down and reinforcing a corporate-led agricultural model that marginalizes smallholder farmers and ignores social justice, gender equity, and labour rights.
• Participants proposed agroecology as a democratic and sustainable alternative to the dominant agricultural model, requiring redistributive land reform, public investment in local markets, and participatory governance to build a climate-resilient food system.
• A 'just transition' in the food system is currently dominated by an energy-sector lens; stakeholders argue it must be expanded to include democratic control of land, seed sovereignty, decent work for seasonal and informal workers, and intergenerational equity for youth.
• The Climate Change Act (CCA) provides critical entry points for civil society through the development of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP) and Sector Adaptation Plans, particularly in the priority areas of agriculture, water, and land.
• The CCA requires provinces, districts, and metros to develop climate change needs and response assessments every five years, offering opportunities to integrate sustainable local food systems into municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and Spatial Development Frameworks (SDFs).

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2025). FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Food-System-And-Climate-Adaptation-Policy-Workshop-Report.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT. 2025. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Food-System-And-Climate-Adaptation-Policy-Workshop-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT |date=22 October 2025 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Food-System-And-Climate-Adaptation-Policy-Workshop-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjustice2025food, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Food-System-And-Climate-Adaptation-Policy-Workshop-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }