The Scale and Structure and Sustainability of the Wild Fynbos Harvesting Supply Chain in the Cape Floral Kingdom

This research project was undertaken between October 2015 and September 2018 via a collaboration between the Centre for Business in Society at Coventry University, UK and the Flower Valley Conservation Trust, South Africa. The project was delivered utilising a range of methodological tools which enabled insights to be gained from different stakeholders within the supply chain(s) which produce Cape Flora products.
1. The structure of the wild fynbos harvesting supply chain in each of the study regions was mapped in terms of (i) the number of actors at each node in the supply chain and (ii) the linkages and flows between actors at different nodes i.e. supplier, exporter and retailer.
2. The extent (numbers employed) and structure (gender, race, seasonal/permanent) of employment were identified at each node in the supply chain.
3. The relationships between economic and environmental sustainability within the wild harvesting industry were established and described and implications for the industry spelled out to stakeholders.

One of the key recommendations from the Report is for improvements to be made to data collection systems within the main industry oversight bodies, specifically Cape Flora SA and Cape Nature; streamlining their respective systems could play an important role in improving transparency, accountability and traceability within the industry.
The research demonstrated how the Cape Flora industry has grown in the last 15 years, largely due to the development of the bouquet market to UK retailers.