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The Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) The Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) The Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA)
  • About
    • Managing SIZA
  • Why SIZA
    • Subscription Levels & Costs
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Standards
    • Reviewing Standards
    • Audit Process Methodology
  • Audit Process
    • Completing the SAQ
    • Choosing An Audit Firm
    • Audit Execution
    • Audit Frequency & Between Audit Monitoring
    • Audit Disputes Process
  • SIZATrack360
    • SIZATrack360 Resources
    • SIZATrack360 FAQs
    • Tracking Impact Data – M&E Reports
  • Training & Support
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Environmental

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Auditing Newsletter April 10, 2025

What do we need to know when it comes to auditing Soil Practices?

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.

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Auditing Newsletter April 10, 2025

What are the Pest Control Operator regulations, and why are they important?

South African agriculture is undergoing significant regulatory changes concerning the use of agricultural remedies, particularly those classified as “restricted agricultural remedies”. These changes underscore the crucial role of the registered Pest Control Operator (PCO) in ensuring the safe and responsible management of pests while safeguarding human health and the environment. A PCO is defined by the Pest Control Operator Regulations 2011 under the Fertilizer, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act No. 36 of 1947. For many years, these regulations were not enforced due to the lack of definitions for “restricted agricultural remedies”. This changed in 2023 when the “Regulations relating to agricultural remedies” were published, defining a new class of restricted remedies which apply to PCOs.

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Auditing Newsletter April 10, 2025

The Importance of Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship in agriculture involves incorporating good and best practices into the management systems that oversee agricultural activities. The need for these practices arises from the valuable ecosystem services that a healthy and functioning ecosystem brings to agriculture.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

How do auditors allocate risk-ratings?

During a SIZA audit, when a SIZA auditor makes a finding, the auditor must allocate a risk rating to each finding. The risk rating of the finding will be based on the root cause of the problem and certain risk factors observed on the day.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

Asbestos on the farm – what must be done?

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.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

Understanding Effective Soil Management: Key Practices and Metrics for a Successful Audit.

Effective soil management is essential for boosting farming productivity, supporting crop health, enhancing water retention, and maintaining ecosystem balance. Within the SIZA Environmental Standard, soil management is key in ensuring farm sustainability and audit compliance. While soil enhancement practices can be adapted based on specific conditions, common techniques such as soil health assessments, erosion control, nutrient management, and minimising compaction are widely used to promote soil health and prevent degradation.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

Essential Methods, Training, and Planning for Effective Management of Alien Plant Clearing

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.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

South Africa’s Agriculture Sector and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Important Role of Environmental Auditing

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.

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Auditing Newsletter September 26, 2024

Ensure You Receive the Right Information at All Times

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.

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SIZA Sustainability Newsletter September 2, 2024

Unlock World-Class Visibility for Your Brand with SIZA’s Platform, Designed to Elevate Stakeholder Impact

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. 

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