European farmer revolts hold critical lessons for just transition in SA’s food system

Recent farmer revolts in Europe coupled with significant shifts in our global climate system have sparked a flurry of concern and discussion in the media and public discourse. This focused mostly on the impact of policies aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture.

In this article, we argue that the protests were stimulated by deeper political-economy problems in agriculture and food systems rather than environmental regulations. These factors point to why an ecological transition in food systems (including in South Africa) remains imperative, but the shift must be accompanied by interventions to address power and resource inequities for a more fair and sustainable food system.

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For many analysts, the recent farmer protests across Europe question the wisdom of regulations to address agriculture’s environmental problems, including its contributions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

For example, a recent Daily Maverick article by Wandile Sihlobo drew attention to our country’s economic vulnerabilities to the European farmer protests, and the potential blowback of policy interventions motivated by environmental concerns, such as reduced pesticide and artificial fertiliser use.

However, the motivations behind the protests are not as simple as Sihlobo asserted. They were not provoked simply by environmental regulations. They must rather be understood in the context of increasing farmer indebtedness, cost pressures from rising input prices, corporate control of farming and food, extreme weather and cheap imports. This undermines the ability of farmers to make a living.

Protesters hold Polish flags next to a Grim Reaper figure as members of Solidarity trade union march during a protest of Polish farmers against the European Union's Green Deal, in Warsaw, Poland. 10 May 2024. (Photo: Robert Kowalewski/Agencja Wyborcza)

The above problems are experienced unevenly by farmers, and so are environmental regulations as well. For example, over 80% of farmer subsidies (of a total of €387-billion) under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) go to 20% of the farmers — who are the biggest and richest.

Related to this, such CAP policies incentivise and lock in large-scale monoculture farming systems. Consistently rising costs of the myriad inputs that this farming model requires are putting ordinary farmers under dire economic strain.

Yet while the major farmers’ associations influence parliaments and continue to push for policies supporting this model, they primarily advance the interests of large, corporate farmers. Add environmental regulations in this context, and the ordinary farmer — already under intense pressure and sensing injustice — is very likely to revolt.

These regulations are a spark, not the cause.

Just transition

The EU farmer protests therefore point to a central issue about sustainability in agriculture and food systems — the need for a just transition that enacts measures to ensure justice and equity in the benefits and the burdens of the transition.

This principle is particularly relevant in the South African context for two reasons on which we will focus here.

First is the impact of environmentally motivated trade policies; the second is the direct implications of the food system’s environmental impacts and vulnerabilities.

On trade, 27% of SA’s agricultural output goes to Europe. Stronger protection for European farmers means we may lose out on our biggest export market. Implementation of carbon reduction measures (like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) also means that carbon-intensive and environmentally destructive agricultural production will be subject to higher tariffs and greater scrutiny by European trade authorities.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Europe’s war on carbon goes global as border tax comes into play

Export rethink

In the case of such policy volatility and financial turbulence caused by the vulnerability of major export products to speculation markets, South Africa should start reconsidering such a heavy emphasis on expanding the already high export orientation of our agriculture. The benefits of this are important considerations, especially considering the huge ecological footprint of our transport sector and, in the case of livestock trade, better animal welfare outcomes.

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Basing an agricultural system on its export earning potential is a fundamentally risky approach and requires an urgent rethink, particularly in the case where so many jobs and livelihoods are put on the line.

Current ways of producing food in South Africa have a significant environmental impact, and the food system is also very vulnerable to climate change. Experts have been warning of the severe risks to Africa’s capacity to grow food in the coming years. These warnings have also been sounded for southern Africa specifically and yet very little is being done to safeguard the region’s food security.

There is therefore the need for a shift to achieve mitigation and resilience in the food system. To make our agricultural production systems ecologically sound will take broad policy measures encompassing the agricultural inputs we use, to the way crops and livestock are produced and raised. These policy measures will affect large farms particularly and will consequently impact farm workers.

Therefore, a planned response is needed. This should make an assessment of and map out the necessary ecological transitions in a way that enhances decent work, supports land and agrarian reform, and enhances the livelihoods of working people, while ensuring the right to food.

In other words, this shift must be just, and centre the needs of the most vulnerable in the food system. With already high levels of hunger and malnutrition, ecological shifts must be aligned with policies to directly address the food insecurity crisis.

Read more in Daily Maverick: The world is facing a food crisis, warns global consultancy PwC

Agricultural workers, whose jobs are generally already characterised by low pay, insecurity, and gender disparities, will be subject to further dire working conditions under climate change. They must not be the ones to bear the burden of any shifts, and they must actively benefit from sustainability measures. For example, phasing out pesticide use benefits the health of farm workers, something they are already demanding.

Further, those responsible for driving the crisis and those with financial muscle must carry the burden and should play a role in funding for the transition itself. A more ecologically sustainable food system should be a win for all those who eat food in South Africa, but active policy measures are required to ensure this is the case.

Stakeholder involvement

Last, the transition must ensure adequate democratic participation by workers, farmers, and affected groups. The importance of effective participation cannot be overstated. Even well-meaning policies can go awry if affected groups are not consulted and brought along in the process of transitions. The principle of this is simple: people want to be told the truth and participate in actions that affect their future.

Fortunately, we have the benefit of learning lessons from around the world. The debacle of Sri Lanka’s organic agriculture transition imposed unilaterally by the government is a good example of why we need to ensure alternatives are well-developed and that their implementation is democratic, such that affected groups have the opportunity to lead and participate in forums that decide their future.

The transition towards a food system that is resilient to the impacts of climate change will require drastic changes from production to consumption and may require short-term sacrifices, primarily from actors benefitting from the status quo.

The flip side is that an alternative food system can ensure that affected groups who have not reaped the benefits have a chance to drive a food system that works for them, society, and the planet. DM

Malik Dasoo is a programme officer at the African Climate Foundation focusing on African food system transformation. Dr Andrew Bennie is a Senior Researcher in Climate Policy and Food Systems at the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ).

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