Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso will lead a high-level South African delegation to Cartagena, Colombia, for the International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD+20), scheduled from 24 to 28 February 2026.
The delegation includes members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development and senior management from the department. This landmark conference marks 20 years since the original ICARRD held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and comes at a time of renewed global urgency regarding agrarian crises, food sovereignty, and the democratic governance of natural resources.
The ICARRD+20 summit serves as a critical platform for governments, social movements, and international organizations to address the expansion of land and water grabbing, climate change vulnerabilities, and the need for redistributive land reform.
Minister Nyhontso is slated to engage in several high-priority bilateral meetings throughout the week. These sessions include:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Consultations regarding the launch of the Global Land Observatory and collaborative strategies for rural development.
International Leaders: Meetings with counterparts from countries such as Brazil facing similar land reform challenges to share insights on agrarian, environmental, and climate justice.
High-Level Dialogues: Participation in ministerial sessions focused on the balance and perspectives of agrarian reform and its role in fostering peace and democracy.
The South African delegation will participate in a series of plenaries and high-level segments, including:
Inaugural Plenary: "Earth: past, present and future: the struggle of the peoples for Agrarian Reform".
Thematic Sessions: Discussions on the geopolitics of resources, including control over land, oil, and minerals.
Global Commitments: The "10 years for Agrarian Reform" plenary, aimed at securing global commitments for structural transformation.
The Minister and the Department of Land Reform views this conference as an essential entry point for the African preparatory process, ensuring that the continent's priorities regarding land governance and dignified livelihoods are central to the global agenda.
For further enquiries:
Spokesperson and Media Liaison
Cassiem Khan
E-mail: Cassiem.khan@dlrrd.gov.za
Cell: +27 83 443 6836
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