Post-apartheid South Africa is over 20 years old, but how much has changed for the rights and working conditions of farmworkers? What has changed for farmers and companies?

Ethical Insights 2016 series will kick off with an expert panel discussing the challenges for ethical trade in the food & farming sector in South Africa.

Margareet Visser, Institute of Development and Labour Law, University of Capetown: lead author of a three-year study commissioned by the ILO on labour conditions in South Africa.

Sue Longley,International Officer for Agriculture and Plantations at the IUF: IUF is the global trade union federation representing workers throughout the food chain. Sue will focus on the challenges for trade unions to organise farmworkers, precarious work and labour brokers; and will highlight a success story of capacity building and worker-management on occupational health and safety.

Linda Lipparoni, Chief Executive Officer of WIETA (Wine & Agricultural Ethical Trade Association): Linda will discuss the impact of the weakening Rand, climate change, falling price points, and new legal requirements for increasing farmworkers wages with farms and companies committed to ethical trade. She will raise questions about the financial viability of South African producers to trade ethically. 

Retha Louw, Programme Manager of SIZA (Sustainability Intitiative of South Africa): SIZA is a multi-stakeholder membership organisation that supports improvements in working conditions on agricultural farms. Retha will discuss the challenges faced by local companies to deal with apartheid legacy social problems of education & skills, housing and healthcare.