South Africa and Brazil have taken a step toward deepening cooperation in agriculture, with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Intent (MoI) between Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen and Brazilian Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Luiz De Alcantara Rua.
The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the G20 Agriculture Working Group (AWG) Ministerial Meeting at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, Western Cape.
Steenhuisen said the agreement represents a testament to the two countries’ shared vision for a food-secure future.
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“By combining our respective strengths, we can unlock new opportunities, advance technological innovation, and build a more resilient agricultural sector that benefits all our citizens,” he said.
The MoI, a non-binding framework, lays the foundation for cooperation in sustainable agricultural production, food security, and trade facilitation.
It establishes priority areas including the exchange of information and expertise, technical tours and joint training programmes, collaborative conferences and knowledge-sharing, as well as strategic trade missions and exhibitions to open new market opportunities.
The agreement is set to remain in force for five years, automatically renewing unless terminated by either party. A Joint Working Group will monitor progress, identify focus areas, and develop a detailed work plan to ensure effective implementation.
South Africa and Brazil have experienced substantial growth in agricultural trade in recent years. From 2020 to 2024, trade expanded from R5.4 billion to R9.7 billion, an increase of 80.5%. South Africa’s exports to Brasil rose by 92.8% over this period, while imports increased by 80.2%.
Key South African exports to Brazil in 2024 included vegetable seeds for sowing (R88.7 million), liqueurs and cordials (R62.4 million), wine of fresh grapes (R43.9 million), and dried grapes (R17.3 million), accounting for 92.3% of total exports.
On the same day, Steenhuisen formally handed over the Presidency of the G20 Agriculture Working Group to Daniel Whitley, Foreign Agricultural Services Administrator of the United States.
Steenhuisen highlighted four central priorities achieved under South Africa’s chairmanship, inclusive market participation policies, empowering youth and women in agri-food systems, fostering innovation and technology transfer, and building climate resilience for sustainable production.
“These priorities reflect the need for markets that are fair and accessible, the power of innovation in driving productivity, and the pressing task of making our agricultural systems more resilient in the face of climate change,” he said.
