South Sudan's Agricultural Future Transformed

• John Ladu Simon Jacob is working to tackle food insecurity in South Sudan by transforming its untapped agricultural potential.
• Despite not having a university degree, John was recruited to managing director of an agricultural enterprise based on this practical experience and leadership potential.
• At his company, John manages a tractor rental service that allows local farmers to cultivate more land at a low price, countering the country's reliance on imports.
• John completed the 2023 Great Ideas Space for South Sudan: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme. He gained the tools and confidence to refine his vision, develop practical solutions and lead impactful projects.
• His long-term vision is to make South Sudan a global player in agriculture, creating a sustainable economy that uplifts farmers and the entire nation.

20 February 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - John Ladu Simon Jacob is on a mission to transform agriculture in South Sudan. As a managing director of an agricultural enterprise, John is tackling one of his country's greatest challenges: food insecurity. His vision is to reduce South Sudan's reliance on food imports and build a self-sufficient agricultural system. The UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme helped John gain more skills and confidence to turn his vision into action.

John began working with international organizations on projects addressing food insecurity after completing his secondary school education. It was a field that he felt drawn to because he saw the power of food to nourish communities and foster stability. "Food is medicine for human beings," he says.

South Sudan is a young country that grapples with food insecurity, compounded by a host of challenges. John highlighted that one major issue is the shortage of highly skilled professionals in the agriculture sector. John also explains that farmers in the country are unable to consistently cultivate their lands because of political instability and insecurity and South Sudan relies heavily on food imports, making food expensive. John emphasizes that agriculture requires political stability, stressing the importance of peace for sustainable growth. He advocates for a self-sufficient food production, reducing reliance on imports.

Another significant challenge, according to John, is the absence of financial investment in agriculture. While South Sudan has immense natural resources, the capital to transform these into sustainable systems is scarce. Government efforts are often directed towards humanitarian aid rather than long-term solutions, and private-sector engagement is largely profit-driven. This lack of sustainable investment creates a vicious cycle of dependence on imports and low agricultural output that limits progress.

To John, agriculture represents not only a solution to South Sudan's food insecurity but also to the country's development. He wants to see his homeland take full advantage of its agricultural potential, making use of its abundant fertile land and the opportunities in production, processing and marketing.

John was working for a small NGO when he discovered the UNITAR programme. The UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme, funded by the Government and People of Japan, brought together young entrepreneurs and innovators along the agricultural value chain in South Sudan. It sought to support them in designing and launching innovative and sustainable businesses and projects that address immediate food insecurity while also building a foundation for long-term resilience and prosperity in South Sudan.

The programme's first two phases were held online. John studied the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and agribusiness in the first phase and began prototyping and designing his project in the second. While poor internet connectivity and intermittent electricity posed difficulties, John's determination kept him engaged. He deepened his understanding of leadership and innovation and began crafting actionable solutions for his community.

The UNITAR programme has been life-changing. [It has] already empowered people [like me] who will go back and change South Sudan." -John Ladu Simon Jacob, managing director of an agricultural enterprise and UNITAR alumnus, South Sudan

John was among the 19 top-performing participants chosen to join the third phase, a 10-day in-person workshop in Japan. There, he met the coaches in person, interacted with peers from diverse backgrounds, and experienced hands-on workshops and field visits to innovation hubs - all of which he found inspiring and memorable.

In particular, visiting the Peace Museum in Hiroshima and learning about the city's reconstruction from the atomic bombing reaffirmed John's belief in the importance of peace and security for development. "Every country needs to be peaceful if they want to achieve things in the world," he says.

Despite not having a university degree, John's experience and potential were recognized and he was recruited as managing director of his current company, which provides agricultural and extension services. There, John manages an initiative to rent tractors to local farmers at a very low cost - "we are thinking like [this is] giving back to the community" - allowing the farmers to clear and cultivate land more efficiently and raise local agricultural production.

I plan to take action." -John Ladu Simon Jacob, managing director of an agricultural enterprise and UNITAR alumnus, South Sudan.

Fast to act, John began deploying tractors for his farming initiative while still in Japan. His target is to clear 1,000 acres of farmland each month through the initiative, so that by the end of the year, more locally grown produce will be available on the market. He also hopes the greater availability of affordable food will also help combat malnutrition among children.

John is deeply grateful to the Government and People of Japan for making the UNITAR programme possible. He feels fortunate to have this experience, among the millions of people who are looking for such opportunities and cannot get them.

To fellow entrepreneurs, John's advice is to seize every opportunity to learn and grow.

We don't need to be sitting there complaining. Let's put [our] knowledge into action. Nobody will come and work for you. It is only you to work for you … for a better future." -John Ladu Simon Jacob, managing director of an agricultural enterprise and UNITAR alumnus, South Sudan.

John is now continuing his studies at a university in Uganda to complement his practical expertise. His vision is for a South Sudan that is a global player in agriculture, with a sustainable agricultural economy that not only supports farmers but uplifts the entire nation. Through his actions and aspirations, John is working not just to grow crops but to plant the seeds of hope, stability and prosperity for South Sudan's future.