Illovo’s focus on SUSFARMS® ensures that we continuously manage the threats of
degradation of
freshwater resources adjacent to our operations and river buffer areas, preventing biodiversity loss, soil
erosion, land degradation, as well as managing sugarcane burning and greenhouse gas emissions.
During the year under review, Illovo’s agricultural operations in
South Africa undertook the
SUSFARMS® V2 “Progress Tracker” self- audit, with the majority of farms achieving high scores for both
legal and social compliance. Challenges regarding the environmental viability were mainly in relation to
the control of noxious invader weeds and the formulation of land use plans. The adoption of SASRI
derived Better Management Practices (BMP’s) is also well entrenched on the majority of our farms.
Our operations in Tanzania and Mozambique undertook SUSFARMS® V2 self-audits utilising the
“Progress Tracker”. However, due to the differing legal requirements in those countries, a custom-built
SUSFARMS® model will be required for our operations outside South Africa.
SUSFARMS® V3 audit criteria from the “Progress Tracker” have been included into Project Totus, which
will be used during audits at all operations during the 2015/16 season.
Illovo continues its endeavours to preserve and manage the areas surrounding its operations which have
high biodiversity conservation status. We are mindful of our potential impacts on these areas and
support a number of initiatives to preserve ecosystem integrity and protect biodiversity. These include:
management of 1 825 ha of the Mhlosinga Nature Reserve at Ubombo in Swaziland;
management of 400 ha of Nyala Park and impact on outfall areas of high conservation
importance such as Lake Malawi and the Elephant Marsh in Malawi;
continued support of 49 000 ha of the Mwananchingwala Conservation Area adjacent to the
Nakambala estate in Zambia;
continued support of conservation projects to protect 1 597 ha of the Magombero Forest adjacent
to the Kilombero estate in Tanzania;
on-going support of the Malawian Government Re-forestation Initiative in Shire Valley; and
on-going surveys for invader species and the implementation of an eradication plan to protect
riverine vegetation adjacent to steep forested areas not under cane at Sezela in South Africa.
A number of our operations are located near to resources of conservation importance such as the
Selous National Park in Tanzania and the Incomati Estuary in Mozambique and our risk management
process aims to ensure that our operations do not negatively impact these surrounding natural
environments and communities. During the year under review, no events of significant biodiversity
impacts were reported by any of our operations as a result of our activities, products and services in
these protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas which are adjacent to
our operations.
We have identified further improvements in our biodiversity management strategy and have implemented
a risks and impacts identification process as part of Project Totus. We engage with external experts with
appropriate regional experience to assist in the development of mitigation systems to verify the
implementation of biodiversity plans at each of our operations. The biodiversity strategy and action plan
will in future include other aspects such as the revision of previous studies, new biodiversity monitoring
studies for species of special concern (as identified in the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) Red and national conservation species lists) and seeking wilderness value qualification
for our nature reserves and other protected areas adjacent to our operations.
