Finn Rautenbach

Finn Rautenbach

Sustainability, Sourcing and Production at Afrigetics Botanicals. Botanist and Story Teller, specializing in Sustainable Sourcing and Environmental Compliance within Phyto-trade. March 17, 2025

What Makes Afrigetics Sustainable?

At Afrigetics Botanicals, sustainability isn’t just a commitment—it’s the foundation of our business. From ethical harvesting to full traceability, we ensure that every step of our supply chain is transparent, responsible, and regenerative. The herbal raw materials industry is filled with companies that profess sustainability without substantiating their claims. At Afrigetics, we back our commitment with verifiable proof, full traceability, and regulatory compliance.

  1. FULLY COMPLIANT & LEGALLY LICENSED

Afrigetics is a fully compliant trader of Pelargonium sidoides, operating under multiple permits that ensure sustainable harvesting and fair benefit-sharing. Our compliance framework includes:

Integrated Bioprospecting & Biotrade Permit

  • Supports sustainable harvesting practices.
  • Guarantees Monetary & Non-Monetary Benefit Sharing with harvester communities and traditional knowledge holders.
  • Supported by annual reports to the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE).

Harvesting, Collection & Transport Permit (Issued by the Eastern Cape DFFE)

  • Allows legal collection and transport of Pelargonium sidoides.
  • Regular compliance reports submitted to local authorities.

Permit to Sell Indigenous Flora (Issued by Cape Nature, Western Cape)

  • Enables legal trade of indigenous flora from our head office.
  • Subject to annual audits by Cape Nature officials.

Export Permit (Issued by Cape Nature)

  • Allows us to legally export indigenous flora worldwide.
  • Compliance is reported annually to regulatory bodies.
  1. TOTAL TRACEABILITY ACROSS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN
  • Sustainability is only meaningful when it is traceable. That’s why we have invested in an internal sourcing team that works directly with harvesters to ensure ethical and high-quality harvesting.

How We Ensure Traceability:

  • Every batch is tracked from its source (village & harvesters) to the final product.
  • Harvesters receive real-time feedback on improving harvest and post-harvest handling.
  • Fair remuneration & sustainability checks are conducted at every step.
  1. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR HARVESTER COMMUNITIES

We believe sustainability starts with people. By managing sourcing internally, our team is deeply embedded in the communities we work with.

Our Community-First Approach:

  • Our core team members visit the field weekly, maintaining authentic relationships with harvesters.
  • A dedicated Afrigetics team member, from the harvest area, bridges cultural and operational understanding.
  • In-house logistics ensure fresh roots are transported and dried quickly, preserving plant potency.
  • Long-term partnerships with drying and extraction facilities ensure quality and efficiency in processing.
  1. UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

At Afrigetics, sustainability is not just a policy—it’s embedded in our DNA.

How We Uphold This Commitment:

  • Sustainability is at the core of our vision statement, guiding all business decisions.
  • Our leadership team brings deep expertise:

Founder: Degree in Sustainable Development
Sourcing & Compliance Officer: BSc in Botany
Pelargonium sidoides Buyer: Degree in Agriculture

  • Independently owned—no shareholders, no external investors. This means we operate with full accountability, prioritizing ethics over short-term profits. Afrigetics is a business that has committed to being an inter-generational family business without external shareholding.

JOIN US IN CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Afrigetics Botanicals is leading the way in ethical, traceable, and scientifically backed African botanicals. Through our deep community partnerships, full compliance, and commitment to ecological regeneration, we ensure that both people and plants thrive for generations to come.

 

Our licenses:
Bio-propsecting
FSSC22000
CapeNature license to sell and export permit
EC Nature license to harvest

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