Impact of Agricultural Trade in the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goal of ‘Zero Hunger’: A South African Perspective

Trade has become an integral part of growth for countries even before the formal adoption of the term globalization. Agricultural trade has meaningfully contributed to the economic growth of many countries, including South Africa. According to the Department: Statistics South Africa (2021), around 11.6 percent of households in South African are experiencing hunger, and the African economy is also facing challenges such as poverty, increasing unemployment, and increasing cost of living. Therefore, the present study explores the food security aspect of the South African economy in light of the second sustainable goal of zero hunger given by the UN. The empirical investigation in the present study ascertains the influence of selected independent variables, including agricultural trade, on the economic growth of South Africa as the dependent variable. The results of the study exhibited that agrarian trade has a positive and significant impact on the economic growth of South Africa. In contrast, employment in agriculture has a negative and significant impact. Further, the study suggested that policy initiatives should focus more on generating employment opportunities outside the agriculture sector.