As we approach the end of the citrus season in South Africa for most regions, it is remarkable to see how well citrus suppliers are performing in compliance. Audit results as of 1 April show a dramatic increase of 55% in the number of environmental audits conducted nationwide compared to last year. Even more impressive, 72% were periodic audits, meaning many suppliers have already undergone their second or third environmental review. This reflects a strong commitment to ongoing improvement and sustainability. Suppliers have successfully closed and finalised 647 out of 880 findings (74%) through SIZA’s continuous improvement corrective actions programme. These efforts highlight an incredible drive for continuous improvement and environmental stewardship. Some of the improvements we can report on include:
Measured and Efficient Use
- One of the most common findings relates to inadequate carbon footprints or no carbon footprints at all. Suppliers have done a fantastic job gathering their annual data more effectively. They utilise the SIZATrack360 programme to provide it to an accredited third-party greenhouse gas emissions specialist to calculate a formal carbon footprint. The programme allowed for their production outputs to be measured monthly in a standardised format to make the calculation process easier and smoother by having it calculated by a recognised third party via the MySIZA platform.
- Similarly, suppliers use SIZATrack360 to show evidence of reduced waste intensity overall, measured per produced commodity. This allows suppliers to obtain an overall view of their waste practices.
- Suppliers submitted evidence of recycling practices, which include farmers gaining value from organic waste through composting to improve soil, with some funding farm community projects by selling recycled glass, metal, and oil. These efforts align with circular economy principles to regenerate resources and reduce waste.
Minimising Negative Impacts
- Employers are showcasing more efforts to provide appropriate IAP clearing methods and techniques to the relevant staff on farms, ensuring all in the business can work towards better sustainability initiatives.
- Producers are also establishing more realistic targets for IAP clearing plans as they gain better records of their production sites through adequate recordkeeping and adaptation of management plans accordingly.
- Producers are showcasing corrective actions demonstrating their awareness of IAP species on site and considering alternatives to prevent further cultivation of IAPS.
Management Systems
- Corrective action showcases businesses’ increasing focus and awareness of compliance with legal requirements regarding the effective removal and management of alien invasive species.
- Risk assessments as part of improvements are more comprehensive and cover all aspects of the environmental impacts of energy, materials, and waste.
- Businesses are further improving awareness of environmental compliance through showcasing evidence that the environmental management policy is communicated to staff, contractors, and external stakeholders.
On social responsibility and labour conditions, citrus suppliers have shown impressive commitment to drive the transformation goals set out by the United Nations and the agricultural industry. Out of 321 social audits that took place since April, 2 350 findings were raised; however 71% have already been closed out based on adequate and effective corrective action by suppliers. Some of the improvements we can report on include:
Health and Safety
- Health and safety risk assessment is adapted as part of the supplier’s corrective actions covering all health and safety risks within the business that are sometimes overlooked, such as latent risks, dams, accommodation, vulnerable workers, etc.
- Housing for employees is upgraded, and improvement plans showcase better management awareness of continuous inspections and prevention of broken/inadequate fixtures, leaking roofs, potential damage to windows/walls/pipes or electrical wiring, etc.
- Corrective actions showcase senior management’s better awareness and understanding of the business’s requirements and implementation of health and safety practices. The improvements show more frequent engagement with all workers, not only those responsible for implementation, making health and safety management more effective.
Wages, Benefits & Terms of Employment
- SIZA can report significant improvement related to employment contracts, especially with more focus placed on workers’ understanding of their written employment contracts, which prevents uncertainty or non-compliance in the business.
- During this period, very innovative ways were seen to ensure payslips meet legal requirements, including suppliers sharing interactive payslips during worker training, utilising experts provided through the SIZA Remedy Solution programme, and verifying the payslip details with workers before finalising them.
- New laws are often published or promulgated, which can mean that contracts must be updated. Many suppliers are actively engaged in industry workshops, SIZA training, and other useful resources to ensure that they stay abreast of new developments and incorporate this into their contracts.
Working Hours
- Some corrective actions observed include businesses developing effective systems to record work hours. It is common for companies to move to time-management programmes, which allow for electronic clocking, resulting in more accurate recording. It is also very impressive to see how many businesses utilise a double-book system to ensure hours are recorded manually by supervisors on site and electronically, allowing for a comparison to be done and discrepancies to be spotted more adequately.
- Overtime remains a challenge in many cases. However, suppliers utilise the legal avenue the Department of Employment and Labour offers to apply for a variation, allocating more hours in sometimes short peak seasons. Furthermore, suppliers are showcasing more innovation in developing shift systems, especially in cases where drivers are working longer hours.
- Night work is not uncommon in cases where spray operators, especially, need to finalise their programmes. Suppliers conduct more regular oversight to understand the timings of spraying activities, looking at ways to adjust working hours during hotter or wetter periods to allow for more effective planning.
Suppliers can refer to their MySIZA platform profile for guidance, legal guidance documents, templates, and other support material to assist in implementing continuous improvement.
