Abstract:
The address aims to add value and strengthen the understanding of what
an agricultural economist is and what the obligations of an agricultural
economist are in a public policy formulation process. In response to
these questions, the address explores the policy evolution in agriculture
and assesses the performance of the sector over the first three decades
of democracy in South Africa. In the reviews undertaken, the influence
of agricultural economists in shaping and formulation of policies was
investigated to reflect on whether agricultural economists have
executed their role effectively.
The obligations of agricultural economists in ensuring that the country
promulgates and implements the appropriate sectoral policies are
emphasized in the address by outlining the good, the bad and the ugly
developments that have been observed in the past 30 years. The
address shows that agricultural economists have been instrumental in
building a reformed, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector in
South Africa, however, the changing political, economic and social
landscapes demand them to be agile and adaptive to these new realities.
