The Khoi and San communities are getting the recognition they deserve in more ways than one when it comes to their sacred knowledge of rooibos and its properties. South Africa’s rooibos industry has paid out R12.2 million to the communities as part of a benefit-sharing agreement.
The agreement has been years in the making and initially began in 2019 between the National Khoi and San Council, the South African San Council and the rooibos industry. The signed access and benefit-sharing (ABS) agreement will ensure the Khoi and San communities share in the profits of the industry, who in turn, benefit from the knowledge that these communities hold when it comes to rooibos and its commercial use, as per Business Insider.
R12.2 million is the first portion of the access and benefit-sharing fund. A benefit-sharing levy of 1.5% of the farm gate price of rooibos would be paid into the trust on an annual basis, this is said to come to R12 million a year.
The fund will be used to help uplift the Khoi and San communities and will be independently determined by the National Khoi and San and South African San councils. The agreement will also see the creation of jobs and is said to support 160 small-scale farmers in the Western Cape and Northern Cape, as per Food for Mzansi.
This is an incredible victory for these communities who have been begging to be acknowledged for their experience around the rooibos and honeybush species.
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