Environmental Audits

Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) are non-native plant species introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, outside their natural range in South Africa. These species often outcompete indigenous vegetation and can significantly alter or degrade ecosystems. IAPs can suppress biodiversity, reduce ecosystem services, degrade productive lands, and increase the risk of veld fires by adding to the combustible fuel… Continue reading Balancing Environmental Risks and Benefits in IAP Clearing Decisions

South African agriculture is increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, wildfires and severe storms. Climate change has significantly increased the frequency and magnitude of these events, placing greater risk on farmers who are pressured to respond rapidly. However, even during disaster situations, environmental compliance obligations do not simply disappear. South Africa’s environmental… Continue reading Acting Fast, Staying Compliant: Why NEMA Section 30A matters for Agricultural Emergencies

The credibility of the SIZA programme is built on the strength and integrity of its third-party audit approach. Central to this is the competency of the audit firms responsible for conducting Social (Ethical) and Environmental audits. These firms play a critical role in ensuring that audit outcomes accurately reflect on-the-ground practices, while meeting both local… Continue reading Ensuring Audit Excellence: How SIZA assures stakeholders that Audit firms and Auditors maintain Competency and Credibility

Rising fuel prices and shortages, driven in part by disruptions in global oil supply chains, highlight the agricultural sector’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Diesel and petrol are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and every activity mentioned—ploughing, planting, irrigation, and transport—adds to a farm’s carbon footprint. As fuel becomes more expensive and perhaps scarce,… Continue reading Fuel Pressures, Farming Adaptation, and the Path to a Lower Carbon Future

Water remains a vital part of agriculture and an essential part of our daily lives. To view water as a necessity and a resource is therefore extremely important. During Environmental audits, water use and impacts on water resources are assessed. When auditing a farming or production site that abstracts, stores, diverts, discharges, or otherwise impacts… Continue reading Water Use and Water Resource Impacts:  How will an auditor evaluate these practices?

On January 26th, 2026, the Western Cape High Court ruled in favour of CropLife SA, confirming that the 2023 regulations relating to agricultural remedies (Government Notice 3812), as issued under the Farm Feeds, Fertilisers, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947, do not apply to the Pest Control Operator (PCO) Regulations of 2011.… Continue reading High Court Ruling Providing Clarity on the PCO Regulations.

What is carbon footprinting? Carbon footprinting is the measurement of an organisation’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). These emissions typically stem from fuel and electricity consumption, fertiliser application, packaging, and other sources. In recent years, increased focus on environmental impact has led to greater regulatory pressure on buyers to… Continue reading Greenhouse Gas requirements for auditors to assess.

Current state of biosecurity Biosecurity concerns have increasingly plagued South African agriculture in recent years, with Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) declared a National Disaster during the recent 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA). Thus far in 2026, South Africa has experienced one of the most severe biosecurity periods in recent history, including outbreaks of FMD,… Continue reading What an auditor must check for if livestock is on site, including biosecurity measures

A third-party audit remains a cornerstone of the SIZA Audit process. It provides a credible, objective picture of a supplier’s on-site practices to stakeholders in South Africa and buyers across global markets. In an increasingly transparent, due diligence-driven world, an audit measures compliance and helps to shape perceptions and convey a picture of the grassroots… Continue reading The Role Auditors Can Play to Strengthen Compliance, Transparency and Trust

In any credible compliance programme, the integrity of the third-party audit process is paramount. The primary objective of an audit is to provide an independent, objective, and standardised evaluation of a supplier’s practices. For this reason, it is essential that the audit process remain free from undue influence and be conducted in accordance with fair… Continue reading Protecting the Integrity of the Compliance Process:  Auditors vs Consultants