Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
The role of farmers during the COVID-19 crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic had brought new appreciation for the pivotal role that South Africa’s agriculture sector plays in the provision of healthy, sufficient and affordable food, according to Derek Mathews, chairperson of Grain SA. He spoke to Annelie Cole
Do you believe that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has given rise to an increased public appreciation of the role that agriculture and those who work in the sector play in the provision of sufficient and affordable food and fibre in South Africa?
I think that many people have never had reason to think about where their food comes from, and this pandemic has helped them to consider and perhaps have a new appreciation for what we as farmers do every day. We’ve seen a new wave of [social media posts] thanking farmers, and it’s appreciated. However, much of the response originates in our agricultural media.
It would have been nice had it come from public opinion, as it has for medical and security services.
That would indicate a true shift in appreciation for the agriculture sector.
We’re experiencing a much better relationship with government at this point and hope that we can build on this new approach.
The sector has been pivotal in informing government on the supply situation of food at this time, and this played into decisions that government had to make about measures to manage the impact of the pandemic. Food is the most basic need of people after water, followed by shelter.
Do you anticipate that COVID-19 will cause those policy and decision-makers, including politicians, who were prone to negative statements and opinions about commercial agriculture, to reassess their opinions?
It would be easy to say that South Africa could import all the food it needs. But is that really the case? All countries are affected by this pandemic and all are taking care of their own needs first before exports are even considered. A hungry nation is not a governable nation. Without a well-established agricultural value chain, the state would not have had the luxury of closing down the country in a lockdown.
In this sense, I think the pandemic has forced politicians to realise and admit the importance of agriculture to South Africa’s economy and social stability. Whether it will change their narrative about commercial agriculture remains to be seen. One wonders how long a politician’s memory will last after the dust settles and focus shifts to the next issue.
As a sector, we’ll continue to contribute positively to the well-being of our people by doing what we do best. Our main objective is to provide food. We always have and always will. That’s what most policymakers and politicians take for granted. We can only hope for a more positive attitude after the pandemic.
How does grain production in particular contribute to food security and food sovereignty in South Africa?
Grain production forms the basis of sustenance in our country, as it does in most other countries. However, our grain industry is extremely vulnerable due to a profitability crisis. Profit margins have shrunk to unsustainable levels, and recovery after extended drought or disaster is all but impossible. Farmers to date have been applying their meagre reserves to weather the storm, but this is fast coming to an end. Farmers, through Grain SA and the input supply chain, need to formulate the way forward as a matter of urgency. The current situation cannot continue; it’s not
tests has resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome in Europe and the US. In Iceland, the condition has almost disappeared, with close to 100% of mothers with a positive test deciding to terminate their pregnancies.
The development of in vitro fertilisation and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, in combination with new stem-cell technologies, promises to take genetic screening to a new level.
“New stem-cell technologies, together with improved digital
while others don’t have access to basics such as clean water, sanitation or enough food.”
Another point of contention is what should and should not be permissible. Already, there are major differences in legislation governing genetically modified foods and the use of stem-cell therapies between countries. Governments might even decide to promote certain traits in humans to the benefit of their countries.
Tampering with the human gene pool could also affect our species in the long term, as relatively little is yet understood about human biology, Metzl explains.
“Life is pretty complex. We know that the manipulation of certain traits may affect other traits. Complete interference with the human genetic pool, however, may result in a total mess, as has resulted with our interference with climatic systems.”
He adds that humans have survived for so long because of the great diversity in their genes, which has allowed them to continually adapt to different stressors.
“The danger is that we might lose diversity, which could be important for our future existence, by only breeding traits deemed important at this point.”
Metzl stresses that people everywhere need to participate in the conversation about how these technologies can be used. This will help ensure that every country has a robust national regulatory structure based on both international best practice and its own particular values and institutions.
• Visit jamiemetzl.com.