SATI Beyond The Bunch 3rd Quarter 2026

Many consumers no longer assess table grapes on appearance and taste alone. They also want to purchase food that is ethically and sustainably grown. As consumers become more carbon-aware, retailers have started asking suppliers about their carbon footprints, and third-party certificates increasingly assess greenhouse-gas emissions. However, retailers are not only motivated by consumer interest, and retailers are not the only reason growers should be calculating their carbon footprints. By tracking their emissions, growers can position themselves to respond to an evolving local and international regulatory environment.

Europe leads the way

The European Union aims to achieve net zero by 2050, and it is gradually reforming its regulations to encourage individuals and businesses to adopt more climate-friendly practices. These regulations might not apply directly to South African growers. Still, growers will have to align with European climate ambitions if they want to continue supplying European markets, which absorbed about two-thirds of South African table-grape exports in 2025–2026. Retailers and regulators Since 2022, the European Commission has been gradually implementing the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which obligates large European companies to report their climate and environmental impacts. The CSRD reporting threshold was revised in December 2025, and it now applies only to companies with more than 1 000 employees and over EUR450 million in net annual turnover. Even if companies are

headquartered elsewhere, they are subject to the CSRD if their subsidiaries in the European Union have an annual turnover over EUR200 million. Although the new threshold exempts most businesses, it still applies to the majority of the retailers buying significant volumes of South African table grapes. The CSRD exposes retailers to consumer scrutiny and influences investors, particularly as European investment managers must disclose the sustainability profiles of investment funds under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. Under the CSRD, retailers must report on scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 emissions are the retailers’ direct emissions (for example, from their own vehicles). Scope 2 emissions are the indirect emissions from purchased energy (electricity and gas). Scope 3 emissions are the indirect emissions from their value chains (for example, table-grape growers).

Read more about emission types on the SIZA website.

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The European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive obligates large European companies to report their climate and environmental impacts.

BEYOND THE BUNCH • 5 • QUARTER 3 • 2026