The wine and fruit industries have collaborated to develop an information source on climate change and agriculture issues, a carbon calculator tool for South African fruit and wine producers, exporters and supply chain, and data capturing resource able to provide valuable benchmarking statistics and trends for the industry. Access the Confronting Climate Change (CCC) website here. Blue North has managed the project since 2011.
In 2021, the CCC initiative launched a new carbon footprint label recognising the ‘Carbon Heroes’ of the South African fruit and wine industry who meticulously calculate their carbon footprint.
In 2016, Vinpro started the Gen-Z Vineyard Project, a new technology transfer project. Core themes are adaptability to changing climatic conditions, efficient water-use in vineyards and soil health.
Funded by the Wine Industry Network of Expertise and Technology (Winetech), the TerraClim platform uses pioneering integrated data resources to provide access to detailed climate and terrain information that assists in navigating the increase in seasonal changes.
Increased severity of drought is predicted to be one of the major impacts of climate change to the agricultural sector. The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) works to promote the protection of water source areas in policy and long-term planning, as well as coordinating stewardship and collective action in key catchments. See www.wwf.org.za/our_work/water.
Below are list of climate change publications and case studies:
- Future Scenarios for the SA Wine Industry: Part 1 – Impact of climate change
Read VinIntell May 2012 (a SAWIS publication) - Understanding climate’s impact on vineyards
An article in WineLand magazine, November 2020 - Confronting Climate Change
A Boschendal case-study, January 2021 - Water stewardship and wine
An article in WineLand magazine, June 2021 - Wine grape producers adapt for sustainability
A media release by Vinpro, September 2021 - Global sustainability in wine
An article in WineLand magazine, September 2021 - Western Cape agriculture promotes sustainable resource use
An article in WineLand magazine, June 2022 - Western Cape allocates R55m to ecological infrastructure
An article in WineLand magazine, June 2022 - SA’s vineyards need climate-proofing
An article in Farmer’s Weekly, September 2022 - BIK Presentation
TerraClim Project (Winetech), October 2022 - Van Loveren Case Study
Confronting Climate Change, January 2023
Article and image published by Wines Of South Africa.
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