As the world marks World Hunger Day 2026 on 28 May, this year’s theme, “The End of Hunger is in Our Hands,” shines a spotlight on the power of communities, farmers, businesses, and local action to build a more food-secure future.
At the heart of that solution is agriculture.
Across Africa, farmers play a vital role in producing the food that feeds communities and supports economies. Yet despite the importance of the sector, many agricultural regions still face challenges including underutilised land, limited access to funding, rising input costs, and climate-related pressures that impact production and long-term food security.
“Agriculture remains one of the most practical and sustainable solutions to hunger because it addresses the issue at its source,” says Ryan New, Managing Director of The Original Grain Company. “When farmers are supported with the right partnerships, capital, and market access, they are able to produce more food, strengthen local economies, and create opportunities that extend far beyond the farm itself.”
Agriculture is also widely recognised as one of the most effective sectors for reducing poverty and improving food access, particularly in rural communities where farming often supports entire local economies. Strengthening local food production helps improve the availability of staple crops such as maize and soybeans, both of which play an important role in food systems across Southern Africa.
Maize remains one of the region’s most widely consumed staple foods, while soybeans are valued globally as an affordable and accessible source of protein for both human and animal nutrition.
However, for many farmers, one of the greatest barriers to production is securing the necessary capital long before harvest.
“Farming requires significant investment months before any income is generated,” explains New. “Seeds, fertiliser, labour, fuel, equipment, and crop protection all need to be in place at the start of the season. Without access to funding and operational support, many farmers are simply unable to plant at the scale they are capable of.”
This challenge has contributed to large areas of agricultural land remaining underutilised, despite their potential to contribute to food production and rural development.
To help address this, The Original Grain Fund developed the Advanced Agricultural Product Purchasing (AAPP) programme, which supports farmers during the most critical stage of the farming cycle. The Fund manages long-term agricultural investment initiatives, while The Original Grain Company focuses on sourcing, trading, and transporting agricultural commodities across Africa.
Through the AAPP programme, upfront investment is provided based on the size of the land being planted, helping farmers cover input costs at the start of the season. In return, harvested crops are purchased at market-related SAFEX-linked prices through guaranteed offtake agreements.
According to New, the model is designed to create greater stability for farmers while strengthening agricultural supply chains and food production capacity.
“The goal is not only to support a single harvest, but to help create long-term sustainability within farming communities,” he says. “When farmers are able to plan with confidence, access markets, and farm productively, it contributes directly to stronger food systems and improved food security.”
The programme currently focuses largely on farming operations in and around the Vrede region in the Free State, with plans to expand into additional agricultural areas over time.
Beyond commercial farming, the model also highlights how collaboration between private sector businesses, investors, landowners, and communities can unlock agricultural potential in areas where land may otherwise remain unused.
In Clarens, for example, The Original Grain Company previously partnered with the Dihlabeng Municipality to bring previously unused land into production through a wheat planting initiative that combined funding, training, operational support, and community involvement.
“Across South Africa there is enormous agricultural potential that can still be unlocked,” says New. “Many communities have access to land but lack the capital, infrastructure, or technical support needed to farm sustainably at scale. Through partnerships and shared expertise, agriculture can become a powerful driver of food security, skills development, and economic opportunity.”
As food systems across the world continue to face pressure from population growth, climate challenges, and economic uncertainty, strengthening local agriculture is increasingly being recognised as essential to building resilience.
For New, this year’s World Hunger Day theme reinforces an important message that ending hunger requires collective action at every level of society.
“Hunger is not an unsolvable problem,” he adds. “Supporting farmers, improving local food production, investing in agricultural communities, and creating sustainable supply chains are all practical steps that can make a meaningful difference. Agriculture has the ability not only to feed communities, but to empower them.”