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Global Wine Sustainability Principles

The FIVS Global Wine Sustainability Principles (“Sustainability Principles”) provide a common framework for the international wine industry’s approach to sustainability efforts and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Vision

FIVS developed the Sustainability Principles in recognition of the fundamental role the wine sector plays in the preservation of natural resources and the stewardship of rural areas and communities.

By following these principles and implementing sustainable practices, the sector will protect and enrich these human and natural assets and ensure the long-term viability of the wine industry.

FIVS and its members strive to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable world.

Objectives

The Sustainability Principles aim to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Solidify a common definition and understanding of sustainability that lends international credibility to existing and future programmes.
  • Demonstrate the commitment of FIVS and its members to fostering a sound environment and enriching local communities while maintaining economic viability.
  • Illustrate the common framework that underpins wine sustainability programmes, while honouring and recognising that each program is operating within its own unique environment, and therefore, covering practices in unique and location-specific ways.
  • Demonstrate alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Definition of Sustainable Winegrowing and Winemaking

Sustainable winegrowing and winemaking is a holistic approach that conserves and protects all
aspects of the environment, landscapes and terroirs, responds to the needs of society-at-large including employees, communities and consumers, and safeguards family farms and businesses while promoting their economic viability. Sustainable practices must demonstrate the ability to address the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Under the Global Wine Sustainability Principles, the international wine industry supports the following principles:

Sustainability Principles

Wine producers should introduce a process to plan and implement economic, environmental, and social sustainability practices. When selecting a sustainability programme, wineries and vineyards should ensure that it satisfies the triple bottom line of sustainability, also known as the three P’s of sustainability: People, Planet and Prosperity. The triple bottom line threshold varies among individual enterprises, which must establish programmes responsive to the diverse needs of each individual region, company, and operating environment. Examples of what should be included in sustainable programmes or practices are listed below.

PLANET

Vineyards and wineries should implement environmentally sustainable activities based on the unique characteristics of their geographical regions and associated environmental risks. These activities, which aim to protect the environment and conserve natural resources, cover but are not limited to the following:

– Water efficiency
– Energy efficiency
– Soil health
– Waste Management
– Air quality
– Climate resiliency
– Pest management
– Biodiversity/ ecosystems

PEOPLE

Wine producers should incorporate social responsibility into the core of their business, in accordance to government laws and regulations, recognising that the sector is sustained by the people who work in it. The following principles 1 should be observed:

– Ethical business behaviour
– Worker health and safety
– Gender equality
– No discrimination
– No child labour

PROSPERITY

Wineries and vineyards must be profitable to be economically sustainable. Income generated by organisations should go towards improving efficiency and resilience, competitively remunerating the workforce, making necessary modernisation investments, and anticipating future challenges. Their positive impact on local economies should also be taken into account. Contribution to the following aspects of society should be considered:

– Wine-tourism (national and international)
– Employment (direct and indirect) generated by the sector
– Legal protection of viticultural landscape and terroirs

View more examples

Wine sector sustainability programmes and wineries should incorporate self-assessment processes, external audits, third-party certification or other legitimate forms of performance evaluation that drive on-going improvements.

The global wine sector should integrate educational opportunities that provide guidance and promote sustainability practices and accomplishments. Examples of education programmes include grower and vintner workshops, community outreach, environmental protection training, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes.

Global wine producers should consider partnerships with relevant local and global stakeholders, such as natural resource managers, labour relations experts, retailers and consumers, to improve the sustainability of the sector. This principle contemplates the adoption of potential purchasing policies for suppliers who demonstrate a similar stewardship ethic and compliance with the FIVS Social Sustainability Principles for Ethical Trading.

Vineyards and wineries should use a broad set of measurable science-based practices that vary based on the region, company, and operating environment. These indicia should help assess the effectiveness of sustainable practices and pave the way to making corrections and to continuously drive improvements.

To ensure successful and effective management of sustainability schemes, wineries and vineyards should establish robust governance structures. These structures help with the implementation of sustainability strategies, manage goal-setting and reporting processes, strengthen relations with external stakeholders, and ensure overall accountability and transparency.

Global wine producers should communicate their sustainability journey to reinforce the benefits of the time and resources invested in sustainability programmes. Communication strategies may also enhance market access whilst simultaneously deterring greenwashing practices.

”The FIVS Sustainability Principles recognise that robust sustainability credentials are essential to the industry’s viability and success. The global wine sector has a long-standing record of proactively implementing sustainability programmes. 

”The FIVS Sustainability Principles respond to the heightened expectations and increased scrutiny by governmental regulators, customers, and consumers. Wine sector programmes need to include every individual component of the Sustainability Principles unless a relevant existing legal framework already requires compliance with relevant elements. Programmes must also retain their ability to operate within the unique regulatory, social, natural resource, biophysical, and economic conditions of countries."

Global Programmes

Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Commission

Region: South America

  • Bodegas de Argentina, Argentina’s largest association of wineries, created a sustainability commission in 2010 to bring sustainable winegrowing to Argentina. The organisation created a self-assessment protocol and guide so winegrowers and winemakers can individually implement sustainable practices.
  • In addition to self-assessment, Bodegas de Argentina gives a seal to officially certified wine. The certification process is conducted through any one of eight approved third-party auditing organisations.

Sustainability Code of the Chilean Wine Industry

Region: South America

  • Wines of Chile’s sustainability programme operates according to a code aligned with triple bottom line sustainability. Originating in 2011, Wines of Chile worked with Wine in Moderation and the Chilean government to build a comprehensive sustainability standard split into four areas: vineyards, wineries, distribution, and tourism.
  • The sustainability code offers a stamp for certification through three third-party auditing organisations.

Proyecto FPTA 353

Region: South America

  • Releasing its first certifications in 2022, Proyecto FPTA is a sustainability certification collaboration between four of Uruguay’s largest viticultural organisations. In addition to certification, initiative also includes a marketing push and promotion of economically sustainable implementation.
  • Certification is conducted with the Uruguay Government’s 2022 Standard for the Integrated Production of Wine Grapes. For now, certified wines get a seal matching that of other nationally certified sustainable products.

Background

The FIVS Sustainability Principles is a project of FIVS, prompted by the recognition that the wine sector faces the challenge of aligning sustainability practices with the needs of the global wine industry. The number and varied nature of strategies throughout the world have reinforced the need for recognising the special character of the wine sector’s diverse production regions. FIVS formulated the Sustainability Principles by taking into account concepts in the Consumer Goods Forum’s Global Food Safety Initiative, the International Organisation of Vine and Wine’s (OIV) General Principles of Sustainable Vitiviniculture, and other international sustainability protocols.

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