Date: 15 July 2025
In July 2024, South Africa passed the Climate Change Act, an important step forward in building a legislative framework for climate resilience, adaptation, and just transition. But as climate risks intensify and key deadlines approach, the question remains: how can this Act be used to drive real change in sectors that are often excluded—especially the food system? This two-hour capacity-building webinar explored exactly that.
We unpacked:
- Key provisions of the Climate Change Act, including what’s binding and where public participation is mandated
- How the Act applies to food systems, from production and processing to retail and nutrition
- The gaps in current policy and why food must be treated as a public good, not just an agricultural output
- The timelines, advocacy opportunities, and upcoming decisions civil society must engage with to ensure implementation drives equity, not exclusion
Speakers included:
- Yasirah Madhi – on why current climate frameworks reduce food systems to agriculture
- Brandon Abdinor – on the legal mechanics of the Climate Change Act and entry points for civil society
- Sizwe Tyiso, Ndivile Mokoena, and Leigh Stadler – sharing takeaways and priorities from food workers, gender justice activists, and smallholder farmers
- Facilitated by Penny Price
This webinar was designed for food system practitioners, environmental justice advocates, grassroots organisers, researchers, and legal activists—anyone working to ensure that the Climate Change Act delivers not only on emissions, but on justice.
Watch now to deepen your understanding and build your advocacy strategy.
