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Cultivating Innovation and Partnerships in Practice: Building Shared Agricultural Futures
AGDA celebrates 5 years of impact with a call for
collaboration, inclusion, and technology-driven growth in agriculture.
The Agricultural Development Agency (AGDA) marked its 5th
anniversary with a member and stakeholder engagement under the theme “Cultivating
Innovation and Partnerships in Practice: Building Shared Agricultural Futures.”
The gathering brought together government leaders, industry experts, and
agribusiness stakeholders to reflect on the sector’s progress and chart new
pathways for inclusive growth and innovation.
AGDA is a facilitator, aggregator, and integrator, representing
45 000 farmers, 50 agribusinesses, 26 financiers, and 7 commodity organisations,
a testament to its expanding footprint and influence across South Africa’s
agricultural value chain.
Opening the event, Kallie Schoeman delivered an insightful
reflection on AGDA’s transformative journey since its inception, setting the
tone for a day of meaningful dialogue. This was followed by a Chairman’s
Address from Dr. Mathews Phosa, who emphasised AGDA’s continued mission to
drive transformation, unlock opportunity, and strengthen the agricultural value
chain through strategic collaboration.
The highlight of the day was the Keynote Address by MEC Vuyiswa
Ramokgopa of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and
Environment (GDARD), who underscored the urgent need to “strengthen
collaboration and partnerships” across the agricultural sector. Framing
agriculture as a national mission, she shared her vision of tackling hunger and
improving food affordability while empowering youth and ensuring that “everyone,
as guaranteed by our Constitution, has access to food.”
Her message on accessibility and getting food closer to where
it’s needed most resonated deeply with the audience. “We must drive inclusive
growth as an industry and create a truly shared future,” she stated, emphasising
the need to engage youth and build platforms that connect South Africa with
global agricultural networks.
Bridging Gaps Through Innovation and Partnerships
A key moment of the event was the panel discussion on innovation
and shared value, featuring leaders from across the agricultural spectrum,
including Theo Boshoff, CEO of Agbiz. Boshoff provided a compelling perspective
on how access to technology can address the pressing concerns facing our
industry, such as market access, biosecurity and mitigating against climate
variability and rising input costs. He cautioned, however, that access to
technology remains unevenly distributed, often due to cost barriers, creating
productivity gaps between larger and smaller producers. This is largely due to
the fact that innovation is now primarily led by the private sector who needs a
return on investment for their R&D. Partnerships such as those brokered by
AGDA can help resource-constrained companies access technology when they enter
into partnerships with established role-players.
“My input was broadly about the benefits of tech to address the
key challenges identified by the MEC, namely biosecurity, rising input costs,
market access, and climate variability,” said Boshoff. “Technology comes at a
cost, however, and as such, partnerships between emerging and established
sectors of the value chain can assist resource-poor farmers to access
technology.”
Boshoff highlighted that while technological advancement is
crucial to agricultural resilience, public-private partnerships must play a
central role in ensuring equitable access to innovation. He emphasised that public
sector investment in R&D will be essential to avoid widening the divide
within South Africa’s dual agricultural economy.
“A Bridge, Not a Barrier” – AGDA’s Collaborative Approach
Leona Archary, CEO of AGDA, reiterated the organisation’s
philosophy of collaboration as she described AGDA’s role as “a bridge, not a
barrier.”
“Seen today are the announcements that we've made of different
partnerships, that has been our philosophy from day one,” Archary said. “All of
the work that we do, we always bring on board partners with different
expertise, different skills, and different reach into the sector so that we can
work faster and better together. We don’t compete with our members; we
collaborate with them.”
Her remarks captured the spirit of AGDA’s milestone, a
celebration not just of five years of progress, but of a shared commitment to
transformation through partnership.
As AGDA celebrates its fifth year, the event underscored a
collective vision for South African agriculture, one rooted in innovation,
inclusivity, and shared prosperity. From the MEC’s youth-centered vision to
Agbiz’s inputs, the discussions reflected a unified commitment to building a
resilient and future-ready agricultural sector.
AGDA continues to serve as a catalyst for transformation,
fostering partnerships that ensure all players, big and small, have the
opportunity to thrive in South Africa’s evolving agricultural landscape.
By Temba Msiza, Agbiz
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