The Handbookis a practical guide about how to implement the management systems and farming practices required to comply with recognised standards. These include international standards such as UTZ CERTIFIED, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade International and local standards including South African Good Agricultural Practices and Right Rooibos.

This is becoming vitally important for an industry concentrated in what is globally recognised as a biodiversity hotspot and which largely depends on exports for continued growth. Increasingly international beverage companies, commercial tea buyers and consumers are pushing for rooibos that meets ethical and sustainable production standards.

The 120-page guide has been designed to be easy to use and dip in and out of. It is divided into five colour-coded chapters on standards, integrated management systems, labour relations, economic empowerment issues and environmental management techniques. For ease of reference each is subdivided into specific topics.

Where more useful information, documents or templates are available online, direct links are provided in clearly marked sidebars. Other sidebars provide contact details for government departments and service providers, while a third set offers tips from industry experts.

“The handbook will be invaluable for those farmers preparing for certification, but the win-win is that the management systems, environmental advice and other best-practice tips are applicable to all rooibos farmers. That can only contribute to a stronger and ultimately more sustainable industry,” says Dawie de Villers, the SA Rooibos Council director responsible for environment and biodiversity.

The Handbook for Implementing Rooibos Standards was project managed by the WWF-South Africa and funded by the Agricultural Department of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is available in English from the SA Rooibos Council and WWF-South Africa. The Afrikaans edition will be available in September 2011.