Climate Change
Climate change is expected to directly impact on South Africa's mean annual temperature and rainfall ranges, influencing pest and disease distributions, flowering and fruiting seasons, and ground water resources. Climate change also impacts indirectly, through the growing awareness among consumers and the corresponding demand for carbon-efficient business processes. The agricultural sector is a large source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) through activities such as land-use change, agrochemical application and fossil fuel use.
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 South Africa Wine, 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.
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
Gen-Z Vineyard Project drives innovation
A media release by Vinpro, August 2023