Environmental Audits

The cost of compliance has always been a sensitive and uncomfortable subject. The aim of compliance is not to create financial strain on the business but a requirement to ensure a third-party certification body has evaluated specific requirements of a standard required by the farm’s clients/buyers.

Many agricultural businesses have to undergo at least three types of audits, depending on the market they supply to: a food safety audit, a social (ethical) audit, and, nowadays, an environmental (sustainability) audit.

Looking at the 92 SIZA members that have already completed their 3rd party audit, the following non-conformances per category dominated the non-compliances that were raised over the last three months.

A total of 403 Social audits have been conducted for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 October 2021.

SIZA Environmental third-party audits are not a pass/fail exercise but rather a process to measure a suppliers’ compliance against the SIZA Environmental Standard, in order to identify areas on the site which are non-compliant and that require corrective actions and improvement. As more and more markets are requesting Environmental audits to be conducted, it is… Continue reading Options when scheduling SIZA Environmental Audit

The use, storage, and/or disposal of biodegradable industrial wastewater, that is wastewater which contains predominantly organic waste from industrial/commercial activities, is classified as a Section 21(e) and/or 21(g) water use activity by the National Water Act 36 of 1998 (NWA).

Where registration or authorisation is required, auditors should evaluate the relevant documentation to assess whether the water-related activities the site engages in are legal.  

Auditors should familiarise themselves with the different types of invasive alien plants (IAPs) that are commonly found on farms, and their different categories as defined by the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 (NEMBA).

Die SIZA Omgewingsprogam was ontwikkel om verskaffers in die landbousektor te help om aan Suid-Afrikaanse omgewingswetgewing te voldoen.

The SIZA Environmental programme was developed to assist agricultural suppliers with becoming compliant with South African environmental legislation.