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Environmental stewardship in agriculture involves incorporating good and best practices into the management systems that oversee agricultural activities. The need for these practices arises from the valuable ecosystem services that a healthy and functioning ecosystem brings to agriculture.

Social audits are critical for ensuring compliance with ethical and labour standards in the workplace, particularly in sectors like agriculture, because of their high dependence on the labour force. One of the key components of a successful social audit is the process of interviewing employees. According to guidelines from the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and the SIZA Audit Process and Methodology, how auditors conduct interviews can have a lasting impact on workers and employers. The key lies in conducting interviews effectively without damaging the trust and relationship between workers and their employers.

Auditors must adequately highlight the risks related to the business they are auditing and ensure management commitment to drive improvement, meet the Standard requirements and aim for best practice. It is valuable for the industry and the entire community to ensure continuous improvement.

Agriculture provides an abundance of circumstances, landscapes, and situations where employees work, live, and rest. This complexity can be a problem when considering a standardised rule or requirement for adequate rest and eating spaces.

Transportation in South Africa is governed by various legislation and frameworks, including the National Road Traffic Act, Sectoral Determination 13, Occupational Health and Safety Act and more. When businesses employ Temporary Employment Services (TES) and transport is provided, one must look at some critical components in ensuring their safety, well-being, and compliance with labour standards. The SIZA Transport Guide, developed to provide clear guidance for employers and auditors, outlines the importance of safe transportation for all workers, particularly those employed under TES arrangements.

One of the Principle Codes speaks to preventing and remedying child labour when conducting SIZA social audits. One of the most critical elements to verify is the age of workers, especially to ensure compliance with laws on child labour and young workers and to ensure that businesses do not knowingly or unknowingly employ employees who are not allowed to work. South Africa governs this by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and international standards such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. Businesses must implement effective systems to ensure they do not break the law. 

On the day of a SIZA audit, the auditor will follow a structured approach in line with the SIZA Social Audit Process and Methodology and Environmental Audit Process and Methodology. This structured approach allows the auditors to triangulate information by evaluating the business’s management system overall. The structure will consist of:

In the agricultural industry, many businesses own and operate several production units or operations as part of their company structure. During an audit, the audit team will include all these business sections as part of the legal entity managed under one management system. It is important to ensure that all of your audited PUCs/PHCs are included on your account and SAQs to ensure that visibility is correct for markets. Multisites must ensure that all the PUCs/PHCs for all their sites are included on the multisite account and in the audit.