Discussions about ethics in the South African fruit industry are likely to take a new direction following a bold new initiative by the country’s grape industry aimed at helping to tackle the kind of problems thrown up by recent worker unrest and disruption, which the majority of industry players say were caused mostly by seasonal workers either going on strike or being prevented from working by militant groups.

Referred to as the Fruit Industry Development Plan, the initiative has the support of other fruit industry sectors and will be developed under the umbrella of industry body Fruit South Africa. “In the past our ethical approach has focused mainly on the legislative and social environment in the workplace,” says Johan van Niekerk, chairman of the South African Table Grape Industry.

“It is clear that we will have to take a much wider view as to the issues that are affecting the regions in which we grow our products. We cannot leave it up to organised agriculture to deal with.”

Van Niekerk, in calling for urgent intervention to calm the situation on farms in the Western Cape, says grape growers have committed themselves to partnering with government and labour groups to get the project up and running. “We have now met with the other sectors of the industry and they agree with us. The way we have been doing things in the past has resulted in government often viewing us with suspicion and we can clearly not allow this to continue.”

In order to meet the aspirations of all those involved with the fruit industry, he adds, there is a need for a comprehensive plan to improve the profitability of fruit growing. “We believe there are 10 points in the government’s National Development Plan, which is exactly the same as our strategic objectives for our industry to ensure its sustainability in future.”

In a similar vein, Anton Rabe, executive director of industry association Hortgro, recently told growers that the Western Cape and agriculture at large in South Africa would not be the same again. “Relationships and investor confidence based on the risks and assumptions associated with long-term planning and investment decisions have been fundamentally and severely shaken,” he conceded. “I do not have the answers but I know we will have to take a new look at our farm, regional and national structures to ensure transparency and dialogue between the stakeholders in our sector.”

He added that the industry must materially address the expectations and needs of both permanent and seasonal workers. “We will have to convince the general public and the media that we are not the monsters and exploiters they seemingly believe us to be,” he explained. “To do this, we will have to rebuild old, and craft new, relationships.”

For their part, South African fruit growers say they are united in their resolve to carry on with ethical trade programmes despite the recent disruption. Many are embracing the new ethical trade programme being overseen by Fruit South Africa and, if anything, the recent troubles are expected to accelerate such efforts. “Our company has a long track record in promoting ethical and morally sustainable practices and we see no connection with what has happened recently in the Cape region with our agreed strategies to benefit our workers and the communities in which we operate,” says a source at one of the affected businesses. “In fact, we see nothing moral or ethical in what militants are doing to fuel the situation.”

His views are echoed throughout the industry. Growers believe the unrest has actually contributed to a great deal more resolve and realism among farm workers who have proved during the past weeks that they are committed to their work and their employers. “Despite intimidation, workers are committed to their work and this is the result of a good relationship and understanding with growers,” says one. Others express annoyance that the minimum wage tag of R69 per day has been attached to the whole industry. “It is a fact that a vast number of workers earn much higher wages and it is morally and ethically unjustified to classify all of us in this manner,” adds another.

Those who will have a major problem dealing with the kind of steep rise in the legal minimum wage proposed by unions will be marginal growers, among them a large percentage of South Africa’s emerging growers who, in any event, are struggling to keep their heads above water. Ismael Motala of the Deciduous Development Chamber, an organisation representing emerging farmers, estimates that 95 per cent of black farmers in the Cape region could go under if there is a steep rise in the minimum wage.

While such debates rage, the number of growers subscribing to the fruit industry’s recently established ethical trade programme, the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (Siza), is growing by the day. One good example can be found in the Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape. “Ten of our growers have already undergone the Siza audit and we are very pleased with the outcome,” says Christo Theron of Sundays River Citrus Company, who says while the audits show areas that could be improved, there is a great acceptance of the audit by both owners and staff.

Neither has the unrest dampened interest in new investments. ALG Estates in Citrusdal is one such grower that is planting more hectares and buying more farms, moves which should result in increased employment opportunities in rural regions. ALG is investing in new production in higher, more mountainous regions in order to produce fruit later in the season. Such plantings have a strong environmental approach, reducing carbon footprints and contributing to removal of foreign vegetation, which in turn contributes to more sustainable use of water. —

PLAN TO WORK

Despite the strikes as many as 90 per cent of permanent workers and up to 40 per cent of the seasonal workforce are said to have been working in recent weeks. According to sources, the seasonal figure would have been higher but for workers feeling intimidated by protesters.