WIETA MEMBERSHIP DOUBLES IN A YEAR

Afrikaans volg onder.

The Wine & Agricultural Trade Association (WIETA) has more than doubled its membership over the past year, as local producers continue to seek accreditation for fair labour practices on their farms and in their cellars.

WIETA is a voluntary, non-profit organisation. It promotes ethical trade in the wine industry value chain with its code of good practice. Stakeholders include producers, retailers, trade unions, government and NGOs.

WIETA CEO Linda Lipparoni said the organisation's membership had risen to 911 producers for the year to March 31, 2014, up from 450, 12 months' previously. She attributed the rise to the growth in consumer demand for goods from producers who followed ethical labour practices. "Globally, more shoppers want to support producers who treat their workers fairly. This in turn has impacted on retailers who are increasingly calling for their suppliers to demonstrate their credentials in this regard."

Sweden, for example has made WIETA accreditation a condition for some tenders submitted by South African producers to its state-run retailer, Systembolaget.  Last year, when Systembolaget's chairperson, Dr Cecilia Seidegård, and its CE, Magdalena Gerger, came to South Africa they told producers they considered it a priority to promote a supply chain that was fair and honest towards people and the environment.

According to Wines of South Africa (WOSA) CEO, Siobhan Thompson, South Africa is Sweden's biggest source of New World wines and its second biggest supplier overall. The country is one of the industry's top five export destinations.

Lipparoni said the country's major producers such as Distell, DGB and KWV, who accounted for most of South Africa's wine export volumes, were all WIETA members. They were also working with their own suppliers to achieve compliance and attain membership.

"These industry leaders are setting a very positive precedent, " said Thompson.  "The more producers achieve accreditation, the stronger South Africa's reputation as an ethical wine-producing nation."

Lipparoni said Stellenbosch was best represented amongst all wine-producing regions with the highest number of WIETA members, followed by the Swartland, then Robertson, Paarl, the Breedekloof, Worcester and the Overberg.

With the growing number of leading international retailers subscribing to the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP), WIETA was also taking steps to benchmark its code and audit methodology against this organisation, she added.

The GSCP, which has members across the UK, Europe, the US and even Japan, is a business-driven programme established in 2006 for the ongoing improvement of working and environmental conditions in global supply chains.

"We are enhancing WIETA's credibility by linking with a global programme supported by the likes of Walmart, Tesco, M&S and Coop. It demonstrates that our criteria stand up to global best practice. We believe it will also help South African producers wanting to trade with these retailers."

DATE                          APRIL 29, 2014

ISSUED BY                 DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)

ON BEHALF OF         WOSA

QUERIES                    LINDA LIPPARONI, CEO, WIETA, 021 880 0580, 076 793 1170

                                    SIOBHAN THOMPSON, WOSA CEO, (021) 8833 820 or 082 828 0348

                                    ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, WOSA (021) 8833860, 082 658 3883

                                    TESSA DE KOCK/JANI-MARI SWART, DKC (021) 422 2690, 082 579 2358

WIETA VERDUBBEL LIDMAATSKAP IN ’N JAAR

Die Wine & Agricultural Trade Association (WIETA) het sy lidmaatskap die afgelope jaar meer as verdubbel. Plaaslike produsente wil met akkreditering wys dat hulle billike arbeidspraktyke in hul wingerde en kelders toepas.

WIETA is ’n vrywillige organisasie sonder winsbejag. Met sy reëls vir goeie praktyk bevorder hy etiese handel in die wynbedryf se waardeketting.

Linda Lipperoni, WIETA se uitvoerende hoof, het gesê die organisasie se lidmaatskap het in die jaar tot 31 Maart 2014 tot 911 produsente gestyg. Dit vergelyk met 450 twaalf maande tevore. Sy skryf die styging toe aan die groei in verbruikers se vraag na goedere van produsente wat etiese arbeidspraktyke toepas. “Wêreldwyd wil al meer kopers produsente steun wat hul werkers billik behandel. Op sy beurt het dit ’n invloed op kleinhandelaars gehad, want hulle vra al meer dat hul voorsieners hul verbintenis in dié verband moet bewys.”

Swede bepaal byvoorbeeld dat WIETA-akkreditering verpligtend is vir sommige tenders wat Suid-Afrikaanse produsente aan Systembolaget, die kleinhandelaar in staatsbesit, voorlê. Toe dr. Cecilia Seidegård, Systembolaget se voorsitter, en Magdalena Gerger, die uitvoerende hoof, Suid-Afrika verlede jaar besoek het, het hulle aan produsente gesê dit is vir hulle ? prioriteit om ’n voorsieningskanaal te bevorder wat billik en eerlik teenoor mense en die omgewing optree.

Volgens Siobhan Thompson, die uitvoerende hoof van Wines of South Africa (WOSA), is Suid-Afrika in Swede die grootste bron van wyn uit die Nuwe Wêreld, en op een na die grootste in die algemeen. Swede is een van die bedryf se  vyf belangrikste uitvoerbestemmings.

Lipparoni het gesê Suid-Afrika se grootste produsente, soos Distell, DGB en KWV, wat vir die meeste van die land se wynuitvoervolumes sorg, is almal lede van WIETA. Hulle werk ook met hul eie verskaffers saam om akkreditasie te verkry en lidmaatskap te bekom.

“Dié bedryfsleiers stel ? baie positiewe voorbeeld,” het Thompson gesê. “Hoe meer produsente akkreditering verkry, hoe sterker word Suid-Afrika se reputasie as ’n etiese wynproduserende land.”

Lipparoni het gesê Stellenbosch word die beste onder al die wynproduserende streke verteenwoordig. Die meeste WIETA-lede kom van hier; dan volg die Swartland, Robertson, die Paarl, Breedekloof, Worcester en die Overberg,

“Al meer van die voorste internasionale kleinhandelaars steun die Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP). WIETA doen daarom stappe om dié organisasie se reëls en oudit-metodologie as norm vir sy eie te gebruik.

Die GSCP, met lede orals in die VK, Europa, die VSA en selfs Japan, is ’n sakegedrewe program wat in 2006 vir die deurlopende verbetering van werks- en omgewingstoestande in die globale voorsieningskanaal geskep is.

“Ons verhoog WIETA se geloofwaardigheid deur in te skakel by ’n globale program wat deur maatskappye soos Walmart, Tesco, M&S en Coop gesteun word. Dit bewys dat ons maatstawwe goed met globale beste praktyk vergelyk. Ons glo dat dit Suid-Afrikaanse produsente wat met hierdie kleinhandelaars sake wil doen, sal help.”

DATUM                                APRIL 2014

UITGEREIK DEUR              DKC (DE KOCK KOMMUNIKASIE)

NAMENS                              WOSA

NAVRAE                               LINDA LIPPARONI, UITVOERENDE HOOF, WIETA 021 880 0580 of 076 793 1170

                                              SIOBHAN THOMPSON, UITVOERENDE HOOF, WOSA 021 883 3820 of 082 828 0348

                                              ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, KOMMUNUKASIEBESTUURDER, WOSA 021 883 3860 of 082 658 3883

                                              TESSA DE KOCK/JANI-MARI SWART, DKC (021) 422 2690, 082 579 2358