| AFMA CALLS FOR MODERN INDUSTRY ASSURANCE TO STRENGTHEN FEED SAFETY, REGULATORY EFFICIENCY AND FOOD SECURITY – 28 May 2026 The Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) hosted its Media & Industry Day in Pretoria, bringing together media representatives, industry stakeholders and AFMA members to engage on the evolving role of industry assurance, feed safety, and sustainability within South Africa’s agricultural value chain. Feed regulation and industry assurance are increasingly interconnected Opening the session, AFMA Executive Director, Liesl Breytenbach, highlighted the increasingly integrated nature of feed and food systems and the critical role of the formal feed industry in supporting food security, animal health, and consumer confidence. “Long gone are the days that the feed chain is separate from the food chain – these chains are becoming increasingly interconnected,” Breytenbach said. She noted that the formal animal feed industry operates within one of the most prescriptive agricultural regulatory environments under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947), where feed ingredients, additives, formulations, manufacturing practices, and traceability systems are extensively regulated before products enter the market. “In contrast, significant parts of the retail food sector rely more heavily on food safety standards, post-market enforcement, consumer protection legislation, and common law liability once products are already in circulation,” she said. According to Breytenbach, this is why modern industry assurance systems are becoming increasingly important – not to replace government regulation, but to strengthen traceability, accountability, audit consistency, and consumer confidence across integrated feed and food value chains. AFMA further confirmed that it is currently reviewing and strengthening its existing Code of Conduct framework to support a more practical, risk-based, and technology-enabled audit and compliance environment, including improved traceability, electronic audit systems, and enhanced reporting capability. Efficient assurance systems can support innovation and food security Presenting on modern assurance systems and industry collaboration, Director CPG, Thea Laufs, highlighted the growing shift toward integrated, risk-based, and technology-enabled approaches to compliance and assurance across agricultural sectors. According to Laufs, efficient assurance systems can also support regulatory effectiveness and market responsiveness within highly regulated sectors such as animal feed. “Overly delayed pre-market approval systems can become counterproductive to innovation, competitiveness, supply continuity, and ultimately food security. Strong industry assurance frameworks provide an opportunity to support regulatory efficiency without compromising feed safety, transparency, or accountability,” she said. Industry collaboration and future capability remain critical Providing a practical example of industry-led assurance in practice, General Manager of SAPPO, Karla Zietsman, shared insights into Pork 360, the South African pork industry’s assurance and certification programme. She highlighted the importance of collaboration, traceability, auditing, and continuous improvement in strengthening accountability and confidence across the pork value chain. AFMA noted that sustainable assurance systems ultimately depend not only on standards and frameworks, but also on skilled people, implementation capability, and future industry leadership. The Association reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing industry training, skills development, and collaborative engagement to support a feed sector that is safe, smart, and sustainable. About AFMA AFMA is the official representative body of the formal animal feed manufacturing industry in South Africa, representing approximately 58% of national feed production. The Association plays a central role in feed safety, regulatory engagement, training, and industry collaboration in support of food security and sustainable animal production. |
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