UKZN Academics Reflect on Food Security Work During South Africa’s G20 Presidency
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) actively contributed to global food and agriculture discourse throughout 2025 by participating in the G20 Food Security Task Force and Agriculture Working Group.
UKZN academics, Professor Muthulisi Siwela, Professor Joyce Chitja and Professor Mjabu Ngidi, contributed to a series of Food Security Task Force studies and provided technical inputs. Additionally, Chitja and Ngidi co-authored a book chapter for the Agriculture Working Group’s collaborative report, showcasing UKZN’s expertise in inclusive food systems and smallholder farmer empowerment.
Much of this engagement has been informed by the Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems – South Africa Project (SHEFS-SA), a Wellcome Trust-funded project led by Professor Rob Slotow, with Ngidi leading the food security components. The project spans South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the United Kingdom, and focuses on generating evidence to guide policies that promote sustainable diets, climate resilience, and food system transformation. In South Africa, SHEFS-SA is leading the review of the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan to ensure alignment between local realities and global commitments.
Participation in the G20 process involved months of technical engagements, study contributions and collaboration with experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and national institutions, including government departments, universities and research bodies. For the academics involved, the process reinforced the importance of linking rigorous research with high-level decision-making so that evidence from South Africa and the broader African region informs global policy.
In September, the G20 Ministers of Agriculture Meeting was hosted in Cape Town.
Ngidi represented UKZN, and attended alongside ministers and senior officials from G20 member states, invited countries, the African Union, the European Union and international and national organisations. The meeting recognised that hunger persists despite sufficient global food production, with millions unable to access nutritious diets.
Ministers also identified four priority areas for action: inclusive market participation and access to finance for smallholders; empowerment of women and youth in agriculture; innovation and voluntary technology transfer; and climate resilience and agroecological sustainability. There was also support for global initiatives such as the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, and endorsement of the Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition.
“The G20’s emphasis on inclusivity and resilience aligns strongly with UKZN’s research agenda. We are ensuring that the realities of smallholder farmers and vulnerable households are embedded in global solutions. But this was not without disagreement and robust discussion to reach some consensus,” said Ngidi.
A defining feature of the Cape Town meetings was the adoption of the Ubuntu High-Level Principles, which placed African philosophy at the heart of global food security policy. Ubuntu, meaning “I am because you are”, underscores interdependence, solidarity and dignity. By adopting these principles, G20 Agriculture Ministers committed to approaches that centre people in food systems, addressing hunger not only as a technical challenge but also as a matter of justice and human dignity.
“Ubuntu reminds us that hunger anywhere is a threat to dignity everywhere. Its adoption by the G20 Ministers is a milestone that affirms Africa’s role in shaping global food security,” said Ngidi.
The outcomes of the September meetings fed directly into the November G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. UKZN remains positioned as a key knowledge partner, drawing on its expertise in food security, nutrition, and climate adaptation. Through initiatives like SHEFS-SA, alongside the contributions of its academics, UKZN will continue to shape both national and global dialogues on how to build sustainable, inclusive and healthy food systems rooted in Ubuntu principles.
Words: NdabaOnline
Photograph: Supplied
