FOOD SYSTEM AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP WORKSHOP REPORT

The report details a workshop held in October 2025 to align various food system stakeholders—including farm workers, informal traders, and small-scale farmers—with the requirements of South Africa's Climate Change Act (CCA). It argues that current top-down climate responses, such as the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan (CCAMP), reinforce corporate agricultural models and fail to address structural inequalities. The workshop proposes an alternative paradigm based on agroecology, redistributive land reform, and a just transition that integrates labour rights and community agency. It outlines specific policy entry points within the CCA, such as the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP) and Sector Adaptation Plans, and provides a coordinated action plan for civil society engagement through 2026.

• South Africa's existing climate responses in agriculture, specifically the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan (CCAMP), are criticised for being top-down and reinforcing a "corporate-led model of agriculture" that ignores the broader food system, including labour, retail, and informal markets.
• Participants proposed agroecology as a sustainable alternative to the dominant agricultural model, linking it to the need for redistributive land reform, public investment in local markets, and participatory governance.
• The workshop identified that a 'just transition' in the food system is currently dominated by an energy-sector lens, leaving a gap in addressing the integrated social, ecological, and economic dynamics of food, labour, and land.
• The Climate Change Act (CCA) provides critical entry points for civil society to influence the food system through the development of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan (NASP) and various Sector Adaptation Plans.
• While many sectors are relevant to food systems under the CCA, the workshop group decided to prioritise policy engagement in three key areas: agriculture, water, and land.
• The report outlines a specific timeline for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) regarding adaptation scenarios (2025–March 2026) and impact modelling for priority sectors like agriculture and water during 2026.
• Meaningful policy engagement by marginalised constituencies is hindered by technical language and a lack of resources, necessitating simplified communication and capacity building before formal consultations occur.

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} }