Calls for wine community to join sustainability program

Australian grape growers and winemakers are being called upon by Australian Grape & Wine, The Australian Wine Research Institute and Wine Australia to join Australia’s national wine sustainability program, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA).

With sustainability often on the mind of customers, the demand for products that specifically address sustainable needs and practices continues to grow. Consumers and retailers are interested in purchasing products that have been sustainably produced, with low environmental impact.

Tony Battaglene, Chief Executive of Australian Grape & Wine, said that “our three organisations have formed a collective vision for the Australian wine community at a time when the industry is facing significant challenges from a changing market that is placing increased emphasis on sustainability.’’

The Sustainable Winegrowing Australia program was formed in 2019 and serves both as a means of boosting the sustainability of its members’ productions, as well as providing certification that can be displayed on packages to signal to consumers that a product has been made sustainably.

Its members submit logbooks from their operations that are then analysed at the Australian Wine Research Institute and a benchmarking report is generated that can be used to continually improve and achieve their sustainability goals. Certification comes about through an intensive auditing process, leading to the ability to display the SWA trust mark.

“The program’s quick and easy assessments and reporting provide a full picture of a producer’s environmental, economic and social practices in the vineyard or winery. The benefits of being a member enable benchmarking production activities, therefore gaining insights into efficiencies and cost savings while creating greater business value over the longer term,” Battaglene said.

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is one of 40 founding members from around the world that have joined the newly formed Sustainable Wine Roundtable. The roundtable is designed to accelerate sustainability action in the global wine sector and the Australian program will actively contribute to help define and set a global sustainability standard for wine.

To find out more, visit Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.