Environmental sustainability in wine production
I have long been concerned about the nature and the pace of environmental change as it relates to the survival of species (including our own). Some of these changes include increasing temperature, altered rainfall patterns, altered abundance and distribution of species, new diseases emerging and the ever present threat of various pollutants.
The actions we take today can have a lasting impact on the environment and the time has come for our industry to get on board. We need to limit our environmental impact so that the natural world can at least be sustained in its current form. This will assist the thousands of species that share the planet with us to sustain their populations and their way of life.
In the long term, being both selfish and practical, we must strive to sustain ourselves as individuals and as a species. To guarantee our future as a species we must be able to grow food, fibre and beverage for generations to come without harming our environment’s ability to sustain us.
In this future that we all hope to be a part of, we must do things quite differently to the way we have done them in the past. This implies that certain practices must be abandoned and others must be adopted. In the wine industry we are facing environmental challenges throughout the entire production timeline from grape to table. In the vineyard and winery there is much to be done and consumers across the board are quite rightly asking questions about the methods being used in the production of their favourite products.
We would like to share with you our sustainability charter below and invite you to join us on our journey, engage us with your thoughts and suggestions as we improve our practices and transition from being part of the problem to part of the solution.
Our sustainability charter
Water
To become self-sufficient in water, to treat our own waste water and to discharge only pure, safe water beyond our boundary.
Weeds
To manage weeds without chemical weedicides and to promote a diverse ground cover with its innate ability to remain healthy.
Soil health
To promote soil micro-organisms, worms and arthropods through organic inputs including ground cover, compost and mulch.
Revegetation
To create and maintain significant areas of bushland, replanted native communities and wild grassland in the interests of habitat for all creatures.
Wildlife
To embrace our natural wildlife and adapt to living in harmony with predators and prey species. Some species test our patience more than others!
Supplier relationships
To identify and engage suppliers that are prepared to reduce packaging, reduce unnecessary plastic and eliminate materials that are not recyclable.
Outbound packaging
To improve the packaging components of our products so that our clients are provided with the most sustainable options for disposal and environmental impact.
Newsletter
To move away from printed material, even though it is recycled, to electronic means of distribution thus reducing the need for printed content.
Machinery
To invest in equipment that promotes and supports our environmental objectives by enabling practices that are ecologically friendly and minimally damaging.