A new Substack post by South African agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo calls on BRICS member states to champion an ambitious agricultural trade agreement, arguing the bloc carries enough combined market weight to reshape farm trade flows among major emerging economies.

The post, titled "The BRICS countries must push for an ambitious agricultural trade deal," frames the call as a strategic priority. Sihlobo's commentary positions agricultural trade as a policy area where BRICS nations could pursue coordinated gains rather than rely on bilateral channels.

What does the proposal cover?

The headline argument of the post centers on a single, broad ask: an ambitious agricultural trade deal among BRICS members. Sihlobo's framing treats the bloc as a collective trade actor with the scale to negotiate terms that individual members could not secure alone.

BRICS brings together some of the world's largest agricultural producers and consumers. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — the original five members — represent significant shares of global output in grains, oilseeds, sugar, cotton, and other major farm commodities. The grouping has expanded in recent years, broadening the potential negotiating base across additional emerging economies.

Why it matters for agribusiness

Agricultural trade among major emerging economies has long been shaped by tariff schedules, phytosanitary rules, and currency volatility. A coordinated BRICS approach would, in theory, give the grouping leverage to address non-tariff barriers that individual exporters struggle to dismantle alone.

For input suppliers, cooperatives, and exporters with exposure to BRICS markets, the policy direction matters for basis levels, hedging strategies, and long-term capacity planning. Any movement toward a formal agricultural framework would likely take years to negotiate and would face opposition from established exporters outside the bloc.

Who is making the case

Sihlobo is a South African agricultural economist whose work focuses on trade policy, commodity markets, and food security across the African continent. He writes regularly on Substack and contributes analysis to regional and international outlets.

His post lands amid renewed attention to South-South trade flows, currency settlement discussions among BRICS members, and continued debate over how the bloc should position itself in global agricultural markets. The commentary does not, on its face, propose a specific text or tariff schedule — it argues for the political commitment to begin.

What's next

The post adds to a body of commentary pressing BRICS agriculture ministers and trade negotiators to treat farm goods as a priority sector. Readers watching for the next BRICS summit communique will look for any reference to a dedicated agricultural work stream or negotiating mandate. Whether the political appetite for a binding trade pact exists remains the open question the post implicitly raises.