OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR A JUST TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM THE BEEF INDUSTRY

The document analyzes the South African beef industry's 'system of provision' to argue that current 'market-centred' transition policies—which prioritize growth and technical intensification—fail to address deep-seated inequalities and the vulnerabilities of farm workers and smallholder farmers. It highlights the industry's high greenhouse gas emissions and the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized producers. The authors advocate for a transformative just transition that integrates labor reform, agrarian reform, and a shift away from corporate-led governance toward democratic, socio-ecological sustainability.

• South African food system policy predominantly follows a 'market-centred' approach, attempting to reconcile growth and job creation with sustainability through technology and productivity increases, which the authors argue is unlikely to address existing inequalities that undermine worker resilience.
• The beef industry is characterized by high corporate concentration in midstream and downstream segments; for example, the share of the top 10 largest feedlots grew from 50.6% in 2015 to 68.8% in 2020.
• Farm workers on commercial livestock farms operate in a 'secondary' and 'segmented' labour market characterized by low wages, precarious status, and a lack of collective bargaining power, leaving them highly vulnerable to climate change.
• Cattle ownership and commercialization are heavily gendered and class-biased; wealthier, typically male-headed households have greater adaptive capacity to recover herds after droughts, while poorer and women-headed households suffer higher mortality rates and sustained economic loss.
• While intensive feedlot systems may have lower direct methane emissions per animal than extensive systems, they create significant indirect emissions through the production of animal feed; in 2021/22, 53% of domestic maize production was used for feed.
• The red meat industry's 'Strategy 2030' aims for growth by increasing overall output by 35% and raising exports from 5% to at least 24% of production, framing this as a 'just' development strategy by incorporating more Black smallholder farmers.
• Climate change impacts on farm workers include increased heat stress and more strenuous labor to protect livestock, compounded by substandard housing that cannot withstand extreme weather.
• There is a significant disparity in carbon footprints across income levels in South Africa; the top 10% of earners have an average footprint of 27.8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, while the bottom 50% average only 3.5 tonnes.
• Regenerative grazing practices are being adopted by some commercial farmers for economic benefits and ecological resilience, but these shifts have not automatically translated into improved wages or living conditions for farm workers.

APA

Bennie, D. A., Naidoo, D. L., Bowman, D. A., & Sandi, A. (2024). OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR A JUST TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM THE BEEF INDUSTRY. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Food-System-Working-Paper-Beef-Industry.pdf

Chicago

Bennie, Dr Andrew, Dr Lalitha Naidoo, Dr Andrew Bowman, and Asanda Sandi. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR A JUST TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM THE BEEF INDUSTRY. Institute for Economic Justice, 2024. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Food-System-Working-Paper-Beef-Industry.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bennie |first1=Dr Andrew |last2=Naidoo |first2=Dr Lalitha |last3=Bowman |first3=Dr Andrew |last4=Sandi |first4=Asanda |title=OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR A JUST TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM THE BEEF INDUSTRY |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=June 2024 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Food-System-Working-Paper-Beef-Industry.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bennie2024opportunities, author = {Bennie, Dr Andrew and Naidoo, Dr Lalitha and Bowman, Dr Andrew and Sandi, Asanda}, title = {{OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR A JUST TRANSITION IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN FOOD SYSTEM: INSIGHTS FROM THE BEEF INDUSTRY}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Food-System-Working-Paper-Beef-Industry.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }