May 2024

From 01 April 2023 until 31 March 2024, 713 SIZA Social (ethical) Audits were conducted in South Africa on farms and packhouses. These audits were conducted throughout various seasons and included a wide variety of agricultural crops and commodities.

When it comes to understanding or preparing for an environmental audit, it can be a daunting task to think about all the different types of laws and requirements.

Managing waste on the farm involves handling, reducing, and finding new uses for the various types of waste produced during farming and processing. This includes leftover crops, animal waste, and by-products from processing.

Several producers in South Africa use TES’s services to supply labour during peak seasons. It is important to remember that the employment relationship between the employer and the TES is a joint responsibility.

When we look at recruitment, certain aspects must be met, not only to ensure one complies with SIZA but also with the law in South Africa to ensure that the employee or employer is protected in the employment relationship.

The cost of compliance has always been a sensitive and uncomfortable subject. The aim of compliance is not to create financial strain on the business but a requirement to ensure a third-party certification body has evaluated specific requirements of a standard required by the farm’s clients/buyers.

Many agricultural businesses have to undergo at least three types of audits, depending on the market they supply to: a food safety audit, a social (ethical) audit, and, nowadays, an environmental (sustainability) audit.