Obligations of agricultural economists in South Africa’s policy formulation

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.