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South Africa’s agricultural sector has been trade-oriented since 1994, with half of its produce now sold to the rest of the world. The sector and the country have benefited immensely from the focus on exports, however, the outward focus has made the sector more sensitive to geopolitics and international trade dynamics.

An example of this has been the impact of the Donald Trump factor on certain segments of the agricultural sector. The US actions have heightened the need for South Africa to review its agricultural trade agenda, to reduce overexposure to a single country while also increasing the sector’s contribution to employment and creating opportunities for new entrants to agriculture, especially black farmers.

In recent times, too, the sector has been prone to political opportunism, sapping the energy to implement the right programmes and policies, such as the Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan which was the outcome of a cooperative effort by the government, organised agriculture, and labour.

In Balance and Reason, agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo dispels the distortions and misinformation perpetuated by President Trump and various interest groups in South Africa. And it outlines how South Africa can adapt its trade policy to the evolving geopolitical environment to support this export-oriented farming sector.

The book explores the root of the challenge in the sector of political-economy diversions, and how to address them to power the sector’s growth. Sihlobo also addresses food insecurity and the misconception that exports reduce food supplies for South Africans.

Ultimately, Sihlobo provides a much more candid view of South African agriculture, touching on domestic and global factors that constrain growth, and calls for ‘balance and reason’ to achieve inclusive growth and job creation.