JOHANNESBURG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Countries worldwide have to work together to address food insecurity, climate volatility, and systemic exclusion, which continue to threaten the stability of global food systems, said a South African official on Wednesday.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen made the remarks in Durban at the Group of 20 (G20) Agriculture Working Group meeting, running from Wednesday to Friday. He said South Africa is facing rising input costs, unpredictable climate shocks, and constrained fiscal spaces.
Steenhuisen said the solution lies in technology and innovation transfer, particularly to bridge the gap between those who invent and those who need access to those inventions. Countries have to build systems that can feed the world without destroying the ecosystems that support them, he said.
"South Africa is committed to an approach that is inclusive, transparent, and focused on action. As the host country and chair of this working group, we are deeply committed to ensuring that this working group becomes a platform for collective ambition, practical collaboration, and long-term transformation," the minister said. "We believe that if we work together, we can build a future in which agriculture feeds not just stomachs, but economies, ecosystems, and futures."
Various working groups of the G20 have been holding meetings in South Africa since the country assumed the G20 presidency on Dec. 1 last year. South Africa will host the G20 Leaders' Summit in November.
