The Wine and Spirit Trade Association

Biodiversity

Biodiversity relates to the number, variety, and genetic variation of the species and processes that allow ecosystems to persist over time. When biodiversity is high, species and ecosystems remain resilient to environmental changes. When there is low biodiversity, nature can act unpredictably and make it difficult for growers to plan production and assess natural resources.

There is increasing awareness of the role that wine production and vineyards can have in protecting the natural environment. Wine production in a biodiverse environment can also be extremely marketable and offer a unique selling point to consumers who seek their wines from environmentally conscious organisations.

Key objectives of combining biodiversity and wine:

Prevent further loss of habitat in critical sites.
Increase the total area set aside as natural habitat in protected areas.
Promote changes in farming practices that enhance the suitability of vineyards as habitat for biodiversity.
Reduce farming practices that have negative impacts on biodiversity, both in the vineyards and in surrounding natural habitat.
Create marketing opportunities for the wine industry by positioning the industry's proactive stance on biodiversity.

Since the beginning of 2009, all wines exported from South Africa have to have the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) certification, which signifies that strict guidelines have been met to ensure that it was produced in an ‘eco-friendly’ manner to help the preservation of South Africa’s biodiversity. http://www.bwi.co.za/

In New Zealand wine makers are pioneering a return to the native vegetation and plant life, and reaping the benefits. Planting of indigenous trees is thought to attract birds that do not eat grapes, saving on the cost of pest bird control. Further north in Marlborough, another project is using rare New Zealand falcons to scare off pest birds while providing a vineyard habitat for the falcons.
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007313.html

Other countries, including Australia and Canada also have industry sustainability standards.

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