Assisting South African emerging farmers to become export ready through private standards certification: quick guide

What we do

There are a number of emerging farmer groups in South Africa that can be classified as ‘export-ready'. However, these groups lack the required private standards certifications that international buyers and local supermarket chains demand - which limits their ability to maximise the returns from their production.

The objective of this RSP project is therefore to pilot a small-grant scheme, in conjunction with our partner the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), that will provide emerging farmers with the means to lower the costs associated with private standards certification. At the end of the pilot phase, the NAMC will evaluate the success of the programme and if warranted, significantly scale up the intervention using government funds.

Why this intervention

The goal of this project is to enhance the profitability of emerging farmers/exporters in South Africa through improving their access to international markets and/or local supermarket supply chains.

What we achieve

The objective of this project is broader than assisting producer groups with certification. For the NAMC it is an opportunity to come to grips with the practical side of certification and gives them the tools to address private standards at a systemic, policy level. Should governments subsidise private standards certification? What industry-wide products can be developed to reduce the cost of certification? How can government extension services support the certification process? These are the types of questions and debates the NAMC is now able to lead on a policy level.

How is this sustainable

If the pilot phase of this project proves successful, the NAMC, a South African statutory body advising the agricultural industry on matter relating to the marketing of agricultural products will significantly scale up the intervention, using government funds.

Who we work with

National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC)

The NAMC is a statutory body established to advise the Minister of Agriculture and the South African Agriculture Industry on matters relating to the marketing of agricultural products. One of the focus areas of the NAMC's Market and Economic Research Centre has been private standards and the extent to which this limits small farmers' access to high-value supply chains.