Audit

One of the main focuses of sustainability is to preserve key resources.  Agriculture faces various challenges related to soil degradation through overplanting, overgrazing, clearing of natural vegetation to ensure that more agricultural development can occur, and much more. The SIZA Environmental Standard highlights soil as a key element and resource to the supplier and the agricultural environment in which they operate. Certain human activities can cause negative impacts on the environment, and one of those impacts a supplier can have is soil erosion. Soil erosion can be defined as the topsoil, the top layer of soil that is the most fertile, getting carried away by natural or human activities and causing environmental harm.

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:

The SIZA Remedy Programme is designed to help producers address non-conformances and improve their compliance efforts with expert guidance. By connecting suppliers to approved professionals, the programme fosters tailored solutions that meet SIZA standards. Learn how the Remedy Programme promotes continuous improvement and operational excellence in South Africa’s agricultural sector.

SIZA’s Audit Oversight Programme goes beyond checking boxes, offering a comprehensive system to support producers in continuous improvement. From monitoring non-conformances to reviewing audit quality and providing hands-on assistance, this programme helps suppliers improve operations while maintaining global compliance standards. Discover how SIZA is fostering sustainability through collaboration and proactive solutions.

South Africa has several laws regarding asbestos, specifically on managing it when it is present on a site. The regulations give employers a clear duty to identify asbestos in place and manage it properly. This duty is also extended to employees to take care of their health and safety and also look after others who may be affected. The Asbestos Abatement Regulations, as promulgated in November 2020, set out the requirements for the disposal of asbestos under Section 21.

Alien plant species are introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, to an area where they do not naturally occur. Once these species begin to spread and establish themselves beyond their initial point of introduction, they are classified as invasive alien plant (IAP) species.

South Africa’s agricultural sector is at the heart of the country’s efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global objectives established in 2015 to promote prosperity and sustainability by 2030. However, with growing challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and land degradation, meeting these goals will require more than just policy reforms — it will demand rigorous environmental oversight, particularly through environmental auditing.

It’s crucial to ensure your contact information on the SIZA platform is accurate and current to keep you fully informed and updated on important developments. Audits are costly and have become increasingly important over the last few years. Therefore, it is important to gain as much knowledge about this expense in your business as possible because, without proof of compliance, you cannot access a variety of markets to sell your products. Having the right contacts listed allows us to deliver timely, relevant communication to the right person in your business.

In today’s compliance-driven marketplace, having real-time visibility into suppliers’ compliance information is essential for buyers aiming to mitigate risks and ensure adherence to Social and Environmental standards. The MySIZA platform stands out as a cutting-edge, globally competitive solution for the South African agricultural industry.