 evening, welcome to the farming podcast brought to you by Private Property. My name is Mbali Nwako, your host every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8pm right here on the Private Property Channel. Today we're speaking about agri-associations. So if you've ever started farming or just ever felt if there are any organizations or associations that represent farmers and you've wondered where they are, where they situated, well, I'm glad to inform you that we've got a fantastic young leader who is the CEO of a agri-association based in South Africa and he will tell us about his journey into agriculture and more so what the association does, who would represent the type of farmer it represents and the work that they're doing on the ground. I know farming could be very lonely as and as they say entrepreneurship can also be a very lonely journey. So if you find yourself quite lonely as a farmer, needing advice, needing a network or a group of farmers where you could really rely on, get some industry information, statistics, I'm sure this conversation tonight with Francois would be one that is valuable to you. And as always, please like, share, comment on this episode. Also, engage with us live, ask our guest questions and we're happy to answer live onto the show. If you missed this evening's episode, you could catch it on YouTube channel and the private property channel under the farming playlist, farming podcast playlist and that's where you get all the content that we've had so far. We are going for episode 90 very soon. So it's been so fantastic to see this platform grow and most importantly, see you guys at home engaging and interacting with us here on the farming podcast. Well, let's get right into it and let's introduce Francois Rousseau, who is the CEO of Cy Organization. Francois, how are you doing and thank you so much for joining us. Good evening in Bali and good evening to your viewers. Thank you for having me. Fantastic. It's been a bit of a while since we last spoke, but I'm happy to have you on this particular show. And I'm going to ask you as if I don't know you, but just tell us basically who you are. What does Cy represent and sorry, who does Cy represent? So the type of farmers does Cy represent and with which geographic region if possible. Bali, Cy was created in February 2019 within the context of the United Nations decade of family farming and the United Nations decided to launch this decade because they saw that family farmers were in the best possible positions to eradicate poverty, to address climate change, to stop migration to cities, to create jobs and in order for them to promote the family farmer they created this decade to create awareness and to channel funds to help family farmers get established and provide a platform for them. So our board chairman Dr. Theo D'Arger came back that year and he decided to set up a structure which is very unique, that simply caters only to family farmers and when I talk about a family farmer it means any person that makes a living with their hands in the soil so that it reaches across industries, across borders, it's irrespective of race, age or any other barrier that there is but we also only simply cater to family farmers and it's something that we've labeled as an open economy organization which simply means it's a minimalist form of an organization that concentrates on the most essential focal points and in our case it's family farmers and it's technology and we outsource as many of the related functions as possible to our network partners that have specialized capacity to serve those interests and that has a shared value with us. So as an organization we've really grown these past two years we've grown to about 8,000 members spread equally across South Africa from industries such as parrots to wine farmers to horse owners you know anybody that is seen as a family farm. Yeah and so tell me, what is required from members when they join SAI so what type of commitment or level interaction or engagement are you expecting from farmers once they become part of the association? Bali, I think we were very lucky that we decided to do and then members will follow or join or contribute to SAI so we do not require anything from our members but we are lucky that they contribute monthly to the organization but in order for us to have grown like that we had to have a value proposition to our members you know fighting and promoting the rights, values, ideals and needs of our members and I think we saw that most during COVID overnight during March 2020 when the lockdown was announced farmers were very confused and afraid because how were they going to travel how were they going to get to the market how are they going to get their laborers what is going to happen next and will there be a future for them and you know overnight we created the digital traveling permit that serviced about 90,000 individuals across South Africa within the farming sector and we created a network setup that communicates to each and every one of our members and any family farmer I think that's something that's very unique to SAI is we don't only service our members but we try to service the whole of the family farming community in anything that we do whether it is to provide a digital travel permit whether it is to assist with the interpretation of new legislation or whether it is delivering drought relief aid we do not say you know it's only for SAI members because we are in that lucky position where our members want to contribute to the whole of family farming in South Africa and tell me how do members contribute you know so let's say I just want to become a part of SAI organization as of today or after this conversation I register into my details on to your association what happens next so what am I expecting what could I be expecting from SAI information around markets tech legislation so what happens next after joining the association look we've got a website www.sai.org there's an easy subscribe option there or you can just send us a whatsapp to 0600716094 and after members become you know a part of the organization we will also ask you to save that number on your phone and you will receive daily updates on what the organization is doing you know whether it is introducing you to new technology or inviting you to a webinar on the latest legislation that was released or you know what is really powerful of direct communication to your members is they keep you abreast of what's happening on the ground you know we saw when there were some beneficiaries of land reform in four different provinces we picked up from the communication that you know these guys were were being moved from their farms to to make way for politically connected beneficiaries and we could stop that within two or three days by contacting the minister and letting her know of this you know if we talk about disasters the KZN riots we were immediately uh uh contacted by members in the area and said listen we've got a real issue here are you able to supply us with aid and and we could mobilize our network partners to deliver aid in that area you know uh just recently we had a webinar on agricultural financing you know nobody knows what is going to happen when land bank uh goes under and what are the alternatives and what are we going to do about it and I think it boils down to this one thing that a farmer's job is to farm they do not have time to come home at night and sit down and say yo I've just seen this latest piece of legislation on spatial planning let me crack out open the books and go on google and see what type of opinion I can write and send to government to ensure that it doesn't harm my my farming enterprise farmers just do not have that capacity and that is why an organization is so crucial to to to stand in for those farmers and as a collective and to say look we have a mandate from family farmers across South Africa this is our opinion and this is uh why we do not want you to implement this type of legislation or stop this water pollution in in bumalanga or stop this mining operation in the free state or you know a big thing that's coming up is the food system summit at the end of september and you know it's the UN's agenda to transform the food systems that we do have in order to align more with the sustainable development goals and there's a huge part of this debate that is anti-animal proteins and who is going to push back against that when we when you are up against companies like clover Denon and the like when you are a single farmer making a living from this type of operation and that is why it is important for associations like ours to be there. Wow really shocking information that you're bringing up to the fore here you know spatial planning land grabs the riots that we recently had in july this food summits and just so right I mean everybody's you know trying to go vegan or vegetarian and they're saying the cows are bad for you know climate change etc as much as all these things are happening and maybe people have their own right to their own opinions statistics etc I think we often forget that at the end of the day there are farmers on the ground who make a living from this who make a living by by raising cattle or livestock you know who are employing people who are creating communities and small economies in rural areas, urban areas etc and so what is the stance for side with all of this thing you know what happens where in an organization like you've said you've what reached like 9,000 members I think what happens in in that instance as an as an association where you have different farmers with various objectives you know let's just take the life the meat protein example for instance so there might be cattle farmers in part of association and then there might be I don't know let's say organic farmers you know who really are interested in you know non-pesticides etc so how do you manage all the different viewpoints and opinions of farmers especially when you're trying to lobby or as opposed stand for farmers rights at the end of the day now look Mbali I think it's a very good point how do you get consensus in this atmosphere but I think you know especially with a debate like the food system summit and the animal protein debate I think we can never compromise with with science we can either accept it or we can challenge it with better science and in this case the science is totally wrong we are lucky as an organization to have an exceptional international footprints a footprint with scientists from across the world assisting especially the world farmers organization is doing very good work there but inside as well we've got very good experts here in South Africa on the topic and we've got very good legal minds that also look at these type of topics so we always go to the best science and I think that has always been very beneficial and and it will always be something that that we rely heavily upon so you know we may not agree but it should be objective and not a subject yeah and as much as your association exists to help family farmers what do you say to the naysayers you know who have been from a source one association to the other to the next to the next maybe they're citrus farming they're part of the citrus organization and then by virtue of being a citrus farmer maybe in I don't know in the limbo region and they're part of limbo how dang sorry limbo agri limbo association or whatever the case is so what do you say to the naysayers who've gone through various associations but never have received any form of support for their businesses information sharing like you said and now they're watching you tonight and thinking oh another agri association you know what do you say to the naysayers and how can you convince them to really support your stance of why SAI exists yeah look Bali I think you cannot force someone who is not in a disadvantage position I think our best promotion has always been you know where farmers have been with it back against the wall again you know whether it was with a drought or with legal matters diesel rebates that that gone wrong you know a labor issues and that's why we will never invite ourselves to an area to all nine provinces where we've been farmers has contacted us and says listen there's something hugely wrong with our rates and taxes in the town and nobody wants to listen to us do you guys have a solution for us and I think that if that formula has worked well for us and we have been able to assist farmers from across South Africa with this issue and you know so I think if you haven't been in that position it doesn't help me promising you anything where I'm sitting here but I think it's something that should it come up please feel free to give us a call because it doesn't take a lot to help farmers out you know we are a very small organization but we have been able to tackle some of the biggest issues in this country especially during COVID and especially now in these challenging times yeah you've mentioned a few issues that farmers have experienced you know drought drought on their farms and you know farmers seeking some sort of relief the various riots and I suppose another one which is a very sensitive topic for many farmers irrespective of race age and gender is the farm violence etc over and above these three or four that I've mentioned what are some of the other issues that farmers have experienced on the ground that you have been able to successfully assist farmers with yeah I think you know the the various lockdowns we were very instrumental in opening up the the alcohol ban especially for on behalf of family wine farmers representing tobacco farmers parrot farmers assisting horse owners farm with horses you know I would also say I think one of the biggest other things that that doesn't get a lot of attention is the preservation of small towns you know I think if there's one thing that is as important to family farming operation and that is that the the clear focus of size to keep family farmers on their farms and to keep them profitable it is the preservation of small towns that is why we make very sure to visit a small town every month or every two months to see and to find out what are the challenges to stop this migration from small towns to cities and that is essentially what robs family farmers from from this lifeline that they do have and I think that is something where we have really been able to get in touch with farmers on the ground and find out what it is that is driving them off their farms and a lot of it is profitability I think something that is really going to be the next big disaster is when this whole land bank issues plays itself out and we should be looking at alternatives and they are they are we we've already started these discussions to see how we can start a cooperative bank for farmers run by farmers and so you know in all of these instances especially we've got a lot of legal cases that we are currently running on behalf of communities or family farms where it's we simply cannot afford to lose on these issues otherwise whole communities will be wiped out especially we are currently busy supporting the small-scale fishes on the west coast you know with really a plethora of challenges that they are fighting and yeah so it keeps us busy and you know there's a lot of issues to do to address but yeah I think we're still very optimistic about about the future of farming in South Africa. Yeah so let's talk about that optimism you know you've been a leader for the organization since inception you've experienced a lot you've seen a lot you've engaged with many many farmers and I like the fact that you really don't come from a farming background you have a legal background as well and you're a young leader in the space which is you know predominantly also predominantly made by older farmers or older farmers and we could say maybe 50 plus you know it doesn't really take to run a successful agri-association based on your experience and what you've seen on the ground. Yeah I think you know first of all we've got great leadership inside our organization is run in the majority by family farms they determine the direction and of course we've got a great board chairman in Dr. Theo de Acheru has seen it all and he's been on every continent and visited almost every country that has organized agricultural setup so you know that leadership it's easy to have it clean and especially good clarity of purpose and that is something that that's great there's there's no politics within the organization that keeps us down you know we get to focus on our mandate of keeping family farmers on their farm and I think the biggest thing that that I feel has been a success to us is we don't talk about farms we talk to farms you know they they let us know what are the issues on the ground and we ask them you know in an ideal situation what could the solution look like to you and we find a way to get to that solution and you know I think what really helps us to carry on day through day is just to see the challenges that farmers overcome every day in South Africa you know from the international community I've heard a bunch of times where they just say you know they yet about the solution that we are working with and they say look it's only South African farmers that are able to do that and it's good I think they in the in the future there will be very few things that we can't overcome but also we've got this great thing called technology that is currently assisting us and something it's something we must embrace you know we we we don't have to have to adopt it but we have to know about it know what is out there and I think for our organization the next big step is going to be assisting younger farmers organizations we recently adopted PIXALANPO within our structure and to see all of those young farmers and what are what they're looking at and what the future looks like to them it's very interesting and and it's something that that we must really spend more time and effort on because they are the farmers that are going to farm the future and it's it's really the worth investment what are some of the opportunities that exist I mean from the young from the young farmer members within your network and just the consensus on the ground from farmers what are some of the opportunities that lie within the next 12 to five year 12 months to five years perhaps that you've seen you know just to keep farmers still in the industry and keeping them with hope because yeah every time you talk about the challenges that exist for farmers you know the the the spirit of farmers being resilient etc but just what are some of the opportunities that one could look forward for whether you're a young farmer or have been farming for two or three decades maybe if you could just highlight some of the few challenges that you're seeing in the horizon sorry opportunities that you're seeing in the horizon yeah look I think the biggest issue for for the farming community is profitability and I think the barrier to entry especially for young farmers is going to be you know not they are looking at profitability as something that attracts them to agriculture and we must show them that there is still a profit left within agriculture you know I think some of the industries that really get them excited and and where they can see a future for is especially the cannabis industry you know I see a lot of interest if I see you know how many not only agricultural students but students that are studying something else like engineering and law etc that get involved in it and you know that is a huge market in South Africa which we just not spending enough time on these part-time farmers you know somebody who has a day job but their passion is farming and we must actually try and and and get more get them more exposure another thing that that Sai is currently busy with is the farming of carbon you know carbon capturing and carbon credits we've got some of the greatest grasslands in South Africa but how do we exploit that in capturing carbon and selling it on the international markets to companies like Boeing or or factories where they they do not have they they cannot meet their carbon requirements and have to buy these boxes right back again to do this whole discussion about the food system summit why do you want to get rid of cattle when they are one of the animals that can help us sequestrate more carbon than any other type of solution that we can think of so these are the type of things that that keep us up at night and and that keeps us hungry I think IoT technology we are busy with some crazy projects and we are going to try and launch that with the youth organizations because you know the guys tell us nope we've got the tech but even if we tell you you're not going to believe us so let's put up a form and let's invite the farmers to come and see what we are busy with so yeah I think it's it's going to be a very interesting time sounds exciting I mean just in our conversation I've learned a few things and I just didn't know that you know someone could just this the aspect of carbon yeah I think that's just quite mind-blowing so I think Sai just to round off our conversation you know we are towards the end of the show I just want to find out as well you've mentioned certain challenges, successes, milestones that Sai as an organization has achieved and a few of your future plans as well so if somebody's listening at home and really wants to become part of Sai you know what would be the pull factor that you could maybe suggest for them to be part of Sai and yeah how can it benefit their family far yeah look I think it's about a direct connection with an organization that really wants to ensure that you and your family stay farming on your farm and that you stay embedded in that community because within that community you are delivering a service that nobody else can do and like I mentioned when you talked about the sustainable development goals you know the United Nations and governments has also realized so from Sai's side you know we try to keep a direct connection with our members and if there is an issue that is troubling you we usually assist directly immediately and I think it's just to be part of that community and if there is questions if there is something relating to your property or relating to your market or relating to an opportunity that you're just not sure about you know it's that willingness to pick up the phone and and talk to any one of us in the office and I can assure you within our network we've got a partner that is able to assist you and even if you don't have that problem right now but but you have faced it in the past you will know that a structure like this is necessary but again Bali like I said when your back's not against the wall and you don't need it it's it's it's it you you can't really convince somebody but please even if it if it happens and you're not a member you will always be willing to help so um yeah thank you so much uh now i'm calling you Sai that's how much you embody and represent the organization but thank you so much Francois so for your time this evening um I think please if you could just reiterate your website once again and that um WhatsApp number so that farmers know where to go and just start maybe registering or contacting you um to become part of the organization yeah well we are available on on YouTube you can subscribe to our channel we've got a lot of interesting webinars over there we're on Facebook we're on Twitter Instagram TikTok you can follow us there we've got a very active social media channel then the number on WhatsApp is zero double six zero seven one six zero nine four and uh yes our website address www.sai.org thank you so much uh that was Francois so CEO of Sai organization which is SA AI um you could follow them on all the social media platforms and contact them on that WhatsApp number as he mentioned you know to register as a member and Sai pretty much represents family uh family-run farms you could be an individual with a private company that you've listed which is a farm uh producing any type of commodity Sai is the association to be a part of you could be a third or fourth generation farmer you know farming in a rural area with your family and if you need support and some additional information or just clarity on certain uh laws that we have in South Africa pertaining agriculture um definitely Sai is an association where you could register become a part of and get a lot of information and help needed uh specific to your farm I hope that you've enjoyed our conversation this evening and um yeah if you've missed this episode you could catch it on YouTube on our private property farming podcast playlist and uh I will see you next week Tuesday at 8 p.m with another fantastic guest thank you so much for watching this evening I wish you a great Friday and a fantastic weekend ahead thank you so much take care