All 11 South African Fruit Exporters (SAFE) farms are now fully compliant with ethical labour practices set by the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA), which is aligned with best practice codes of the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP).
SIZA covers a wide range of good health, safety and social development practices.
“Our compliance provides further assurance to our overseas markets that SAFE farms are sustainable,” says SAFE social and ethical compliance coordinator Li-Ann Jacobs.
Leading supermarkets and other retailers use the GSCP to identify producers that comply with ethical labour best practice, enabling them to build more sustainable supply chains.
Cultivating 1 470 hectares of citrus and table grapes on 11 farms in South Africa, SAFE exports to the European Union, Scandanavia, the Middle East and Far East. The company employs 2 300 people, including seasonal workers.
The milestone was reached by SAFE on November 22 2016 when the last of its 11 farms – the Swartfontein table grape estate in the Western Cape – was successfully audited as being compliant with SIZA. This achievement puts SAFE in the category of a leading South African agricultural company.
“Our aim is to provide our farm workers with the best conditions possible,” says Jacobs. In addition to these and other initiatives, SAFE provides opportunities for workers to acquire new skills to enable them to further their careers. Jacobs says SAFE is now working towards FairTrade accreditation for its farms following the recent certification of its Nuweland table grape estate in Northern Cape.