At the Southern African Development Community's 46th summit, agriculture emerged not merely as an economic sector but as a mirror of the region's deeper struggle between self-protection and collective flourishing. Across sixteen nations where farming shapes roughly a tenth of GDP, the promise of free trade agreements has collided with the reality of import bans, phytosanitary disputes weaponized as protectionist tools, and a stark productivity divide that leaves smaller economies feeling overwhelmed rather than integrated. The paradox at the heart of this moment is that the restrictions meant