Agri Kultuur September 2014 | Page 54

T he Western Cape’s fynbos landscapes are not only beautiful to look at; they also provide an important agricultural industry. Natural and cultivated fynbos are harvested for local and overseas markets – providing thousands of jobs across the province. In fact, industry statistics suggest that the sale of fresh fynbos to local and overseas markets will amount to about R85-million per year (including the sale of fynbos that is cultivated and fynbos harvested from natural populations). Approximately 80 percent of this fynbos is exported, with the most demand coming from the European Union, the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent Africa. As an idea of the extent of the in- Photo: Chris Kriel dustry’s exports, more than 17 million protea, leucadendron and leucospernum stems were exported in the last year. This number is expected to climb to more than 20 million in the coming year. The size of the sector has also encouraged renewed support from the Department of Agriculture, which has identified the fynbos industry as a niche sector in agriculture, and one that deserves support. Given that fynbos is a part of our natural heritage, it is therefore important to ensure the economic sustainability of the industry also balances with the environmental and social sustainability, particularly when fynbos is harvested in the wild. One way of showcasing this sustainability to retailers, who are increasingly pressuring their suppliers to trade ethically across differ- Photo: Chris Kriel ent sectors, is through the Sustainable Harvesting Programme, coordinated by a non-governmental organisation called Flower Valley Conservation Trust, based just outside of Gansbaai. This voluntary programme provides support to landowners and fynbos harvesters, to meet best practice environmental, and social and labour standards. At the same time, the Trust also works with retailers, to promote ethically traded fynbos bouquets to interested markets. While the Sustainable Harvesting Programme has been tested across the Agulhas Plain, through new support from the European Union and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, plans are now being put in place to roll it out across the rest of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Emphasis has Photo: Chris Kriel