Sustainability
SAMAC’s sustainability and social economic impact
Change is inevitable both in our world and on our farms. The South African macadamia industry embraces this reality by actively striving to enhance sustainability, driven by a strong commitment to environmental protection and community empowerment. As the demand for sustainable products continues to grow, the South African macadamia industry’s dedication to ecological and social responsibility will undoubtedly play a crucial role in its future success.
Our commitment to continuous positive impact on the environment, stakeholders and society.
Economic Impact
- Growth of South Africa’s macadamia industry and global market positioning.
- Export revenue generation and economic contributions to GDP.
- Role in expanding international trade partnerships (e.g., China, India).
Job Creation & Industry Development
- Employment opportunities across the value chain (farmers, processors, exporters).
- Skills development and training programs.
- Supporting small-scale and emerging farmers.
Supply Chain & Local Business Growth
- Impact on local suppliers, transport, and logistics industries.
- Strengthening agribusiness and rural economic activities.
- Investment in processing and value-added macadamia products.
Social Impact
- Empowering farmers and rural development
- Capacity-building initiatives for macadamia farmers.
- Technical support and research for improved farming practices.
- Support for smallholder farmers, ensuring inclusivity in the sector.
Sustainability & Environmental Responsibility
- Promoting eco-friendly farming practices and water conservation.
- Initiatives to reduce carbon footprint and improve soil health.
- Contribution to biodiversity conservation.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Community Engagement
- Partnerships with government – Food donations and social welfare contributions (e.g., World Food Day).
- Educational programs and awareness campaigns.
Building healthy ecosystems through embracing sustainable farming practices
SAMAC spends a significant portion of its research budget on finding biological control strategies for key pests and diseases as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. In an IPM strategy, a pest or disease is managed holistically through prevention, and cultural, sanitation, mechanical and biological control activities where possible, with plant protection products deployed in a responsible manner when necessary. Through field trials, industry collaboration, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, SAMAC aims to integrate biological solutions into pest and disease management strategies. By reducing reliance on chemical inputs, these efforts contribute to long-term orchard health, improved soil biodiversity, and enhanced food safety while supporting the industry’s environmental and regulatory commitments.
SAMAC further continuously provides the industry with resources and tools to ensure plant protection products are deployed in a responsible and effective manner. This includes documents and videos describing agricultural best practices for pest and disease control, and includes topics such as pest monitoring, spray cart calibration, and guidelines on how to limit spray drift. An interactive database with plant protection products and their corresponding maximum residue levels, pre-harvest intervals and label instructions is also available. Supporting cross-pollination through bees is crucial, as pollinators play a key role in macadamia production. Our best practice guidelines for bee management focus on reducing pesticide risks, ensuring adequate forage, and fostering collaboration between farmers and beekeepers, promoting healthy pollinator populations.
Sustainable use of water resources
Responsible use of limited water resources is a priority in the macadamia industry. SAMAC funds long-term research projects in collaboration with the Water Research Commission and the University of Pretoria to determine how much water macadamias require, differences in water requirements between cultivars and how to apply water efficiently. These research initiatives aim to optimize irrigation practices, ensuring that water is used judiciously without compromising the health of the orchards. This proactive approach helps maintain water sustainability in regions where macadamias are cultivated.
Carbon footprints, certifications and standards
South African macadamia growers are actively working towards reducing their carbon footprint. In collaboration with the Confronting Climate Change initiative, growers and processors are measuring their carbon footprints and using these results to set targets to reduce their emissions. This initiative helps the industry monitor progress and implement strategies to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Many growers are also audited according to independent local and international codes of best practice, such as the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) and Global G.A.P. These certifications assure consumers that the macadamia nuts they enjoy are produced sustainably and meet rigorous environmental standards.
Husks and shells: Innovative by-product utilization
The South African macadamia industry is also dedicated to finding innovative uses for by-products. Macadamia husks are incorporated into composts, and this beneficial practice improves the soil health and quality in orchards. Macadamia shells are another by-product of macadamia nut production, and are reused and recycled as sources of fuel, biochar and activated carbon.
Social sustainability
The macadamia industry in South Africa recognizes the importance of supporting local communities. Macadamia nut production significantly contributes to employment through both permanent and seasonal work opportunities at farm level, in factories and throughout the value chain. The South African macadamia industry also invests in emerging small-scale farmers and socio-economic development in these areas, further benefiting these communities. By providing job opportunities and investing in community infrastructure, the industry is helping to improve the quality of life for those living in macadamia-growing regions.
RecruitAgri
SAMAC has partnered with RecruitAgri; who provide practical farming experience through their bespoke internship programme to the youth. This partnership brings significant impact to the macadamia nut industry by developing the scarce skills needed in the South African agricultural sector. Through hands-on experience in farming and processing, coupled with networking opportunities, RecruitAgri is developing a new crop of leaders in agriculture. From 2018 to date, RecruitAgri has placed over 95% of its graduates in employment and are focused on uplifting women in agriculture. Furthermore, the macadamia nut industry, due to its growth, has recruited more than 80% of the graduates from the RecruitAgri internship into employment opportunities. These roles include job types like quality controllers, production assistant managers, junior farm managers, junior section managers, production supervisors and plant production specialists to mention a few. These skills are being developed and deployed in the agriculture industry. In 2023, RecruitAgri expanded its curriculum by adding a processing module to stay aligned with evolving industry requirements demonstrating its commitment to providing relevant training for future agricultural professionals.
Study groups
SAMAC collaborates with leading skills service providers and industry experts to facilitate study groups and training sessions. This ensures that growers continuously enhance their skills to produce high-quality outputs suitable for export. Study group sessions are aligned with the phenology calendar of the macadamia season; for example, a harvesting study group is conducted during the early harvest season.
Global G.A.P training
SAMAC supports emerging growers in producing export-qualityproduce through Global GAP training. Global GAP offers robust, streamlined, and user-friendly solutions for certifying agriculture, aquaculture, and floriculture production processes. Their capacity building programme promotes the global adoption of safer and more sustainable farming practices in over 130 countries. The GlobalG.A.P Training programme, co-funded by Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA), concluded in 2023 with a 100% pass rate, highlighting the effectiveness of our commitment to enhancing the skills and standards of our growers.
Socio-economic development
Ha-Mashau Primary School:
SAMAC is dedicated to enhancing the sports facilities at Ha-Mashau Primary School in Limpopo. This project includes the construction of a soccer field, netball and tennis courts, as well as the provision of sports equipment to support the physical well-being of the students. We believe that everyone deserves access to safe, high-quality sports facilities, which can serve as a pathway to success and a brighter future.
Madlanga Secondary School:
SAMAC has invested in the construction and equipping of a science laboratory at Madlanga Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal. This facility will provide students with the opportunity to engage in science and chemistry experiments, sparking their interest in pursuing careers in science by offering a hands-on understanding of the subject. Given that agriculture is deeply rooted in science, we believe that empowering students to choose careers in science will directly contribute to the future advancement of agriculture.
Friemersheim Primary School:
SAMAC is actively supporting the development of young learners at Friemersheim Primary School in the Western Cape by investing in technology to enhance the quality of their education through electronic platforms. As reading is fundamental to learning, the integration of these platforms will significantly improve students’ reading and comprehension skills, empowering them to build a better future for themselves.