FairPlay

Fuel and food price hikes threaten to worsen South Africa’s childhood stunting crisis, argues FairPlay's Francois Baird. businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-0…

South Africa already has 1.7 million stunted children. That is one in three children under the age of five whose bodies and brains are being permanently damaged by chronic malnutrition. This is a national emergency hiding in plain sight. businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-0…

When fuel prices go up, everything gets more expensive. Farming, transport, distribution. What impact will this have on the cost of food? fairplaymovement.org/fuel-hikes-thr…

Global bird flu outbreaks are forcing a rethink on how the disease is managed. Experts are increasingly clear that relying only on culling infected flocks is not enough. While biosecurity remains important, vaccination needs to be part of the solution. fairplaymovement.org/calls-for-glob…

Government collects R4bn in VAT on chicken but loses up to R202bn annually to the costs of childhood stunting. We are literally taxing the cure while paying for the disease. businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-0…

The collapse of Daybreak Foods will not only affect workers, but also the rural communities in which it operates. The company has faced a steep decline, with thousands of jobs at risk and large-scale retrenchments expected. fairplaymovement.org/will-the-sun-s…

Food inflation had started to ease, but rising fuel costs could reverse the situation. fairplaymovement.org/fuel-hikes-thr…

The poultry industry is ready to vaccinate its flocks against bird flu. Vaccines are available and capacity is in place. “If the minister gives us permission to vaccinate tomorrow, we can start vaccinating," says SA Poultry's Izaak Breitenbach. fairplaymovement.org/poultry-indust…

Poultry remains the cornerstone of South African agriculture. In 2025, the industry generated a total of R91.4 billion, making it the country’s most valuable agricultural sector. fairplaymovement.org/poultry-is-kin…

After talks with govt officials, the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) is cautiously optimistic about progress towards vaccinations against avian influenza. fairplaymovement.org/bird-flu-vacci…

Sharply rising beef prices, due to the foot and mouth disease crisis, are among the drivers of South Africa’s higher food inflation rate. fairplaymovement.org/beef-prices-dr…

The extension of AGOA until the end of 2026 brings some relief for South African exporters, but the benefits are limited. fairplaymovement.org/only-some-good…

A day after we received robust agricultural GDP data showing that the sector’s gross value added grew by 17.4% year-on-year in 2025, following an 8.4% year-on-year contraction in 2024, some may wonder why sentiment indicators suggest a subdued mood. In data released on March 11, we learned that after rising for much of last year, the Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) fell by 18 points in Q1 2026 to 49, the lowest level since Q3 2024. The current ACI level of 49 is just under the 50-neutral mark, suggesting that South African agribusinesses are becoming somewhat pessimistic about business conditions in the country. But this story requires some context; we provide it in this podcast.

As cattle farmers and government argue over who should implement the national vaccination programme against foot and mouth disease, it is worth looking at the example of Brazil. fairplaymovement.org/how-brazil-vac…

“Sacrificing South African poultry, the second most competitive producer in the world, was clearly premature. What is the situation now that lower US tariffs are in place?” asks FairPlay's Francois Baird. fairplaymovement.org/us-tariff-reli…

“It is a shameful decision, because poor people will suffer, and malnourished children will suffer the most.” – FairPlay founder Francois Baird on governments refusal to drop VAT on chicken. fairplaymovement.org/vat-free-chick…

South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a record $15.1 billion, up 10% year-on-year, despite global trade uncertainty. youtube.com/watch?v=H2kvGW…

Brazil vaccinated close to 300 million cattle against foot and mouth disease. South Africa, only has to vaccinate 14 million. How did Brazil do it? What can we learn? fairplaymovement.org/how-brazil-vac…

As the budget speech approaches, our VAT-free chicken campaign has captured national attention, and sparked a powerful public response. fairplaymovement.org/south-africans…

South Africa’s citrus industry achieved a record-breaking 2025 export season, shipping over 200 million 15kg cartons worldwide. businesstech.co.za/news/governmen…