Johannesburg – The National Agricultural Marketing Council has announced that, due to climate change, South Africa’s agricultural exports to the European Union (EU) will be subject to new stringent regulations to retain access to this valuable market.
The Marketing Council outlined the forthcoming changes, effective from New Year’s Day (Wednesday, 1 January 2025), highlighting the growing threats climate change poses to food systems and their overall resilience.
“Increasing temperatures, variable rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events—including droughts, floods, heatwaves, and cyclones—are all impacting agricultural productivity, disrupting food supply chains, and displacing communities,” the Marketing Council pointed out.
“The severity of climate change is expected to intensify, endangering millions with severe hunger, poverty, and malnutrition by 2050.”
In response to climate change and environmental degradation, as well as to mitigate its consequences and support sustainability, the 27 EU Member States launched the “EU Green Deal” in December 2019.
The EU Green Deal represents a comprehensive initiative designed to achieve climate neutrality and promote sustainable economic growth throughout Europe by 2050.
“As a result, significant changes in South Africa’s agricultural export dynamics to the EU are anticipated due to the rigorous environmental and sustainability demands outlined in the EU Green Deal,” the Council clarified.
“While the EU remains a vital trading partner, contributing significantly to export growth, adherence to the Green Deal’s mirror clauses is critical for maintaining market access.”
“Adapting to these policies brings both challenges and opportunities for South Africa’s agricultural sector.”
The Marketing Council urged exporters to embrace innovation and align with sustainability standards to ensure long-term competitiveness.
“Strategic responses to these regulations will influence the future resilience and growth of South Africa’s agricultural trade with the EU,” stated the Marketing Council.
“Throughout the past decade, South Africa’s agricultural exports to the EU have demonstrated a consistent increase.
“This trend has resulted in a bolstering trade balance, although South Africa has concurrently increased its agricultural imports from the EU.”
In 2023, South Africa exported roughly US$2.5 billion in agricultural products to the EU, while imports totaled approximately US$2.19 billion.
Exports saw a growth rate of 51%, while imports increased by 34% during the same period.
“Importantly, since the initiation of the Southern African Development Community – European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC-EU-EPA) in 2016, South Africa’s agricultural exports and imports have surged by 57% and 48% respectively,” noted the Marketing Council.
“This growth is primarily a result of the SADC-EU-EPA, which allows the EU to waive customs duties on about 98.7% of imports from South Africa, while members of the Southern African Customs Union (including South Africa) abolish customs duties on around 86% of imports from the EU (European Commission, 2024).”
Due to the mirror clauses linked to the EU Green Deal climate policies, numerous countries seeking to trade with the EU will need to align with the regulations applicable to EU producers.
“Essentially, countries like South Africa are required to comply with these new regulations to maintain access to this lucrative market,” the Marketing Council stated.
“Consequently, with the EU ranking among South Africa’s largest agricultural trading partners, South African exporters must adapt to these changes to secure their long-term competitiveness in this changing marketplace.”
