South African Pork Producers’ Organization appoints Dr. Peter Evans as CEO

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Pork Producers’ Organization (SAPPO) has appointed Dr. Peter Evans as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

SAPPO coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.

Dr. Evans joined SAPPO on a part-time basis in 2008 and was pivotal in the development of Pork 360, as well as in setting up various interventions to enable the sustainable growth of the industry.

Pork 360 is an assurance scheme that demonstrates that farmers and the South African pork value chain are committed to best practices.

Chairperson Stephen Butt congratulated Dr. Evans and expressed his excitement over the new phase ahead.

“Dr. Evans is an established and versatile member of the SAPPO team and has vast exposure across the global pork value chain. He brings a wealth of experience as a renowned leader in animal health,” said Butt.

Dr. Evans, who commences his tenure as CEO of SAPPO in September 2023, commented that over the years, pig farmers have demonstrated that they are extremely efficient and innovative.

He added: “This needs to be matched with broad-based collaboration in designing interventions that could mitigate the interrelated biosecurity risks embedded in the South African pig industry.”

“At the center of the pig industry’s future are value-chain-based partnerships that yield a means to ensure market access, sustainable development, and a conductive trade environment.”

His appointment comes at a time when pork producers have remained under profit pressure due to high feed prices. Since March 2022, pork prices have remained at approximately six times that of the price of maize, 33% below the long-term average.

In response to the heavy production cost the pork producers are facing, the organization has partnered with PwC Southern Africa to craft a sustainability framework considering a diverse set of stakeholders and needs to achieve long-term positive systemic change.

The strategic objective is to identify a set of viable sustainability criteria that could satisfy the needs of financiers based on local and international frameworks applicable to the pork industry. The partners also purpose to align existing sustainability practices within Pork 360 with these standards.

Jolanda Andrag, chief operating officer of SAPPO explained that the twofold strategy will consist of a portfolio of interventions that is pinned on the existing sustainability practices embedded in Pork 360 and the developmental impact of a range of business development interventions.

Furthermore, Dr. Evans pointed out that Pork 360 remains a valuable risk management mechanism and is increasingly a key pillar of the industry’s future sustainability.

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