SIZA CARES (the Creating Awareness and Resilience in Environmental Sustainability programme) is a voluntary environmental sustainability programme that focuses on creating awareness and resilience among farms and packhouses. This initiative aims to help businesses identify and manage environmental risks while also assisting them in implementing sustainable practices to meet upcoming market requirements and prepare for third-party environmental audits. This programme is also used to monitor between audit periods so that we can ensure that sustainable practices stay in place between 3rd party audits.
With a growing awareness and mounting pressure for the agricultural sector to address the numerous environmental challenges facing our planet, the industry has embarked on a journey towards enhancing its environmental sustainability. In South Africa, producers, packhouses, and processing facilities now have the opportunity to gradually progress towards environmental sustainability by collaborating with SIZA once again.
One of the primary highlights of the programme is its focus on gaining insights into the environmental aspects specific to each operation’s context. This tailored approach allows businesses to address their unique environmental challenges and work towards sustainability. SIZA CARES also helps companies prepare for potential future mandates that might require third-party environmental audits, ensuring they are well-equipped to meet these requirements.
For SIZA members, the programme offers an added benefit of participation at no extra cost. Additionally, the SIZA Digital Recordkeeping programme supports SIZA CARES by enabling the efficient capture of key performance indicators (KPIs) through its program, thus facilitating data-driven sustainability management for participants when needed.
The SIZA CARES programme. allows for a comprehensive evaluation of current environmental practices while emphasising the importance of maintaining and enhancing the environment. The programme covers various aspects, including soil, water, energy, materials, waste, biodiversity, and ecosystems, providing a holistic approach to sustainability.
Since the launch of the programme, 280 SIZA CARES site visits have been conducted, with 54 of these sites subsequently undergoing third-party audits. Impressively, 51 of these sites (94%) that have formed part of the SIZA CARES programme and subsequently completed third-party Environmental audits have achieved the coveted Platinum status, reflecting their commitment and success in implementing sustainable practices. This highlights the positive impact of the SIZA CARES programme in promoting environmental awareness and resilience within the agricultural and packaging industries.
“In preparation for 3rd-party audits and to establish a sustainable value chain, SIZA invites buyers and brands to take advantage of this opportunity to gradually integrate environmental requirements into their supply chain. Through its partnership with SIZA, the South African agricultural industry can confidently embark on its journey towards environmental sustainability, knowing that support is readily available every step of the way. Buyers can rest assured that, much like the ethical audit, SIZA will work diligently to minimize risks for all stakeholders involved in this process.”
| SIZA CARES with no Audit conducted yet (81%) | SIZA CARES + 3rd party Audit (19%) | Platinum status Achieved (94%) | Gold Status achieved (6%) |
Written by Reginald Scholtz