Linking biodiversity conservation to market-led development: a case study of the Right Rooibos Initiative, South Africa

This series of Working Papers is a result of the Partnership Programme between the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government and Wageningen UR. The project ‘Inclusive Chains for Agro biodiversity IChA’ collaborated with partners in 5 countries: Colombia, Ghana, Namibia, South Africa and Thailand Two questions are pertinent to facilitate better practice and eventually better the market access within the Rooibos industry: 1) Is Right Rooibos effective economically, socially and environmentally, and 2) Are existing certification schemes enabling or constraining regarding biodiversity conservation and better practice in general, and how can they be improved? Both of these questions are interrelated and fall within the general GCA mandate. This study focuses on the latter aim. Thus this study aims to 1) create an understanding of how events around the Right Rooibos and various potential certification schemes emerged, who was involved in these events and how different stakeholders, with varying backgrounds and expertise, shaped that process, and to 2) determine whether certification schemes presently developing around Rooibos are perceived by stakeholders as enabling or constraining regarding biodiversity conservation and better practice in general. determine whether certification schemes presently developing around Rooibos are perceived by stakeholders as enabling or constraining regarding biodiversity conservation and better practice in general.