Industry bodies Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) and Agri SA have called for deeper agriculture trade across the BRICS markets.
Having participated in Agribusiness Working Group meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit this week, in India, Agbiz and Agri SA considered a range of priorities and recommendations for BRICS leaders, including bridging agriculture productivity gaps among member countries.
The organisations were also part of discussions on promoting sustainable and climate-smart agriculture practices, sharing knowledge on scientific advances and seed development, and overall deepening of agriculture trade as a means of strengthening food security.
From a South African agribusiness perspective, there is a strong case for BRICS countries - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates - to deepen agriculture trade on fair and commercially meaningful terms, particularly in the current environment of intensifying geopolitical tensions, conflict and rising import tariffs.
Agri SA and Agbiz advocate for more effective trade in these regions through improved market access, fewer unnecessary trade barriers, greater regulatory predictability and more efficient trade facilitation.
