Social and Rights

This Pillar has been selected for purposes of this Project because the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and the rights contained in the Bill of Rights must be protected and respected. Community is of great importance throughout South Africa and community activism has been at the heart of mass change within the country throughout the liberation struggle and since the beginning of democracy. South Africa has a robust, supreme Constitution which grants a plethora of critical rights to its people and with which all law, policy and actions are measured against. These include the rights to access to water and food (section 27); the right to freedom and security of the person (section 12); the rights of workers (section 23); and the rights of children (section 28). These rights are aimed at social justice and human dignity.

Part A of this Pillar sets out the rationale for the selection of this Pillar; the main national government departments with mandates in respect thereof. Part B sets out background information as to how the Pillar connects with the Egg Supply Chain. Part C provides an overview of selected rights issues associated with this Pillar in the context of the Egg Supply Chain in South Africa.

For purposes of this Project, we explore briefly the interaction between factory farming / industrialised animal agriculture (particularly in the Egg Industry) with these rights. The right to access to information, the right to an environment not harmful to health or well-being, and the right to freedom of expression have been discussed elsewhere in this Initial Report and are not discussed below to avoid repetition. Please refer to Section II, Pillars 1 and 4 in particular.