Involvement of Stellenbosch University's Sustainable Agriculture research group helps in certification process
Meat from the sheep farm Elandsfontein near Britstown in the Northern Cape Karoo is the first to be officially certified and marketed according to international standards as being organically produced in South Africa.
The farm, which has been in the Esterhuizen family for three generations, received its certification in February 2017 after trained inspectors audited the traceability, balance and organic integrity of the farm practices according to international standards.
The abattoir used by the Esterhuizens, as well as the Boer and Butcher butchery in Durbanville where Elandsfontein's meat is sold also formed part of the inspection and certification process. It is marketed under the Smartt Karoo organic logo.
The road to certification
No legislation exists in South Africa about the standards to which producers should voluntarily comply if they want to market their produce or livestock as being organic. Therefore co-owners Willie and Sonja Esterhuizen decided to have Elandsfontein farm certified according to Ecocert Organic Standards (EOS). These comply and are equivalent with European Union standards.
The Esterhuizens were guided in the process by the certification agency ECOCERT Southern Africa, while input by MSc students following the Sustainable Agriculture programme at Stellenbosch University also played a valuable role in the farm being certified sooner than expected.
According to EOS organic regulations it is not allowed to farm the same livestock race on the same piece of land using both conventional and organic methods.
"The only exception is if research is done by an official institution on your farm," explains Willie and Sonja Esterhuizen, who have been farming on Elandsfontein since 2014 in partnership with Willie's parents, Jacques and Esme Esterhuizen.
When ECOCERT Southern Africa suggested involving a research partner in their endeavours, it was an easy decision for Willie to make. He is an alumnus of Stellenbosch University who graduated with a BCom in Agricultural Economics before also qualifying as a certified financial planner.
"We still need to convert a small portion of our farming operations to 100% organic standards, but because of the valuable relationship with researchers in sustainable agriculture who are studying various aspects of our endeavours we were able to already receive international certification," explains Willie. "We are now working hard to increasingly ensure that all of our practices and operations are 100% in line with organic regulations, and are helped in this by input from the students."
What does it mean to be "certified organic"?
Although the word "organic" readily appears on many a local product, it is without the necessary paperwork to prove that from farm to fork it has been produced and audited as such according to international standards.
Elandsfontein's products have been certified according to international Ecocert Organic Standards (EOS). This means that they could export their products as being certified organic to all European Union countries, Australia, Taiwan, the Arab Emirates, Madagascar, Asia, Turkey and Serbia.
"When consumers buy products that are 'certified organic', they do so with the knowledge that they are buying products that have been approved according to international standards," explains Marianna Smith of the certification agency ECOCERT Southern Africa in Stellenbosch who helped the Esterhuizens with the application process. "When a product is certified organic, the name or code of the certification body will be displayed on it."
In the case of Elandsfontein's meat products, it means that no growth hormones or routine antibiotics are used, that the sheep are only fed on certified organic plant material that do not contain any traces of herbicides or pesticides. All additional feed used must also be grown from non-GMO seed.
"The animal's health and well-being is a top priority, and we had to put a traceability system in place for every last of our Merino sheep to guarantee all of the above," Willie explains some of the paperwork that went into the certification process.
Elandsfontein is lucky that in most years the surrounding Karoo shrubland and natural rangeland provides in all of the dietary requirements of its livestock. It is only during times of extreme drought that additional fodder has to be provided. A major problem for most South African producers is that most additional feeds that can be provided to animals in times of drought for instance are generally grown from genetically modified seeds. GMOs are not allowed by organic legislation.
Involvement of the MSc students in Sustainable Agriculture
The MSc students involved in the Elandsfontein project are Pienaar du Plessis, Yonela Jafta, Paul Jordaan and Philemon Sithole. During the course of their studies they spent time on the farm, and focused among others on aspects such as the provision of supplementary feeds other than lucerne.
They among others compiled a report highlighting how the Esterhuizens can use invasive mesquite trees of the Prosopis family growing on a neighbouring farm as a source of alternative organic feed in times of drought. The students also delved into the most recent findings about how to at best control pests and ticks without using synthetic chemicals and investigated potential markets for the organic products other than meat that Elandsfontein Farm could also provide such as wool and honey.
According to Prof Kennedy Dzama, chair of the Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University and academic leader of the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture, the collaboration with the owners of Elandsfontein has provided the students the opportunity to focus on a real-life example of sustainable farming, and to gain valuable insights in the process.
"The research forms part of their work integrated learning, but also helps to solve a real problem," he adds. Other students following the programme have for instance worked with Distell to solve issues surrounding biodiversity loss and soil erosion in vineyards.
"The theoretic base of the MSc programme is grounded in real-world applications through a unique module we call Work Integrated Learning," explains Prof Dzama. "It provides students with the opportunity to work with members of industry to develop a research proposal that tackles a relevant industry-related problem.
The road ahead for Elandsfontein
The response from the public on the meat products marketed through the Boer and Butcher butchery has so far been very positive, and has shown the Esterhuizens that there is indeed a market for such a niche product in South Africa.
Willie hopes that other producers in the area will also start investigating the option of organic farming so that Britstown can become the hub of organic sheep farming in South Africa.
He also wants to investigate the option of producing organic wool, as well as organic lanolin oil which is a byproduct of wool and is used in baby products and cosmetics. "There is not yet a market for organic wool in South Africa, because it is so expensive to wash and process it," says Esterhuizen. "We hope that further research about this subject will open up a few doors for us, and provide us with some answers."
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[Additional information]
What are the criteria that define an organic agricultural product?
• Organic agricultural products: grown avoiding the use of chemical fertilisers or synthetic products, in ground fertilised with organic fertilisers and natural minerals favourable to life within the soil, application of the precautionary principle.
• Animals: predominantly fed on organic feed, non-intensive husbandry, reared with access to the open air, maximum living space.
• Processed products: made from controlled organically-sourced farm ingredients and eventually from non-agricultural ingredients as authorised by European regulations or the United States National Organic Programme (NOP).
* Source: Ecocert website
About the MSc Sustainable Agriculture programme
The first students to follow the MSc Sustainable Agriculture programme at Stellenbosch University enrolled in 2014. The programme is an initiative between the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University, Wageningen University Research in the Netherlands, and Conservation South Africa.
The programme consists of modules ranging across the fields of science, humanities and economics, and touches on a broad range of topics that deal with the complex problem of agricultural sustainability. Through the coursework students tackle questions about the maintenance of ecosystem services in the context of food security and social equity, the value of organic agriculture and the barriers facing emerging small-scale black farmers. Students among others follow modules focusing on sustainable soil management, plant and animal production, as well as aspect of the economics and sociology of sustainable agriculture. They also learn how to analyse land-use systems and to use biometry. In their second year, students carry out individual research projects.
* More information: download a brochure about the course here.
More about ECOCERT
ECOCERT is a French owned certification body for sustainable development worldwide. It has been operating since 1999 in over 130 countries thanks to its 24 subsidiaries – one of which is also based in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The ECOCERT name and seal are registered trademarks worldwide, and trusted by consumers, businesses, industry, and governments. ECOCERT is actively involved in protection of the environment and social responsibility through its wide range of products and services - organic farming, processing and inputs, organic cosmetics, fair trade products, organic textiles, ecological green spaces, organic home fragrance and cleaning products.
* More information: www.ecocert.com
