HIGH-POWERED SWEDISH GROUP 'VERY IMPRESSED' WITH WORK DONE IN SA WINE INDUSTRY
Afrikaans volg onder.
The heads of one of the biggest buyers of South African wine in Europe said at a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday (6 March) that they were "very impressed" with the work being done in the local wine industry in the area of social responsibility. At the same time South Africa remained "fairly high up" on the organisation`s list of risk countries which also include Chile and California.
The group visited several wine farms and met with the major role players in the local wine industry, including some worker organisations.
The media conference was addressed by Dr Cecilia Seidegård and Magdalena Gerger, respectively chairperson and chief executive of Systembolaget, the Swedish liquor monopoly. They were accompanied on a short visit to the Cape Winelands, arranged more than a year ago, by their full board to allow members to acquaint themselves with local conditions. The media briefing was also attended by Western Cape Agricultural Minister Gerrit van Rensburg.
The Minister said he welcomed the visit by the Systembolaget team as Sweden was South Africa`s fourth largest export destination for wine. "The Western Cape Government believes real improvement in social conditions can only be brought about through economic growth and as a province we therefore value our trade relations with Sweden."
South Africa sells about 33 million litres of wine a year to Systembolaget comprising several hundred labels. In 2011 South Africa ranked as its single biggest supplier.
Gerger said a major priority for the organisation was to promote a supply chain which was fair and honest towards people and the environment, requirements which ranked high in a country such as Sweden. She said there was strong support for Fairtrade wines and commended South Africa for having been at the forefront of Fairtrade wines internationally. She added that WIETA accreditation could also become a requirement of Systembolaget`s tender process.
"Although the energy and enthusiasm devoted in South Africa to the corporate social responsibility aspects of the production process is truly inspiring, there is still room for improvement. We hope our ongoing dialogue with producers will inspire further achievements and lead to improved conditions, for ongoing progress in local conditions is crucial for us at Systembolaget."
The organisation performs regular audits on producers in the countries from where they buy and such an audit is at present being conducted in the Cape Winelands.
"If the results of an audit are not satisfactory, an action plan is developed and the producer re-audited within 12 months. We want to promote positive change. However, if a producer is not prepared to institute the changes we require, we cannot continue working with him," Gerger said.
"We believe anyone involved in the making of the products we sell should earn a living wage. We are at present involved in the revision of the Code of Conduct for the Nordic countries, and there is every indication that the revised code, which is expected to come into effect in 2014, will contain a `living wage` condition."
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ISSUED BY DKC (De Kock Communications)
ON BEHALF OF WOSA (Wines of South Africa) for Systembolaget.
DATE ISSUED Thursday, 7 March 2013
MEDIA ENQUIRIES André Morgenthal, communications manager, WOSA, 021 883 3860; Ben de Kock, DKC, 021 422 2690
VERNAME SWEEDSE GROEP `GROOTLIKS GEÏMPONEER` MET WAT IN SA WYNBEDRYF VERMAG WORD
Die hoofde van Systembolaget, een van die grootste kopers in Europa van Suid-Afrikaanse wyn, het vroeër vandeesweek (Woensdag, 6 Maart) by ? mediakonferensie in Kaapstad gesê dat hulle "grootliks geïmponeer" was deur wat in die plaaslike wynbedryf ten opsigte korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid gedoen word. Terselfdertyd is Suid-Afrika "taamlik hoog" op die organisasie se lys van riskante lande wat ook Chili en Kalifornië insluit.
Die groep het verskeie wynplase besoek en ook met die belangrike rolspelers in die Suid-Afrikaanse wynbedryf insluitende werkersorganisasies vergader.
Die mediakonferensie is gelei deur dr. Cecilia Seidegård and me Magdalena Gerger, onderskeidelik voorsitter en uitvoerende hoof van Systembolaget, die Sweedse drankmonopolie. Hulle is op hul kort besoek aan die Kaapse Wynland vergesel deur die volle direksie om hulle van die plaaslike toestande te vergewis. Die besoek is meer as ? jaar gelede gereël.
Die geleentheid is ook bygewoon deur mnr. Gerrit van Rensburg, Wes-Kaapse Minister van Landbou. Hy het gesê hy verwelkom die besoek aangesien Swede op drie na die grootste koper van Suid-Afrikaanse wyn is. "Die Wes-Kaapse regering glo sosiale toestande kan slegs deur ekonomiese groei teweeggebring word en as ? provinsie stel ons daarom ons handelsbande met Swede baie hoog op prys."
Suid-Afrika verkoop sowat 33 miljoen liter wyn aan Systembolaget per jaar wat bykans 650 etikette behels. In 2011 was Suid-Afrika die grootste enkele verskaffer van wyn aan hierdie organisasie.
Gerger het gesê een van hul hoogste prioriteite was om ? bevoorradingsketting te skep wat reg laat geskied aan mense en die omgewing, prioriteite wat in ? land soos Swede hoog geag word. Sy het gesê daar is sterk steun vir Fairtrade- wyne en het Suid-Afrika geloof vir die leidende rol wat dit internasionaal in die bevordering van die Fairtrade-etiket speel. Sy het ook bevestig dat WIETA-akkreditasie waarskynlik een van die vereiste van Systembolaget se tenderprosedure vir Suid-Afrikaanse wyne sal wees.
"Hoewel die energie en geesdrif waarmee aspekte van korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid in Suid-Afrika nagejaag word, werklik inspirerend is, is daar steeds ruimte vir verbetering. Ons is vol vertroue dat ons deurlopende dialoog met produsente sal lei tot verdere prestasies en verbeterde toestande aangesien volgehoue verbetering in plaaslike toestande vir Systembolaget van die allegrootste belang is."
Die organisasie doen gereelde oudits van die bedrywighede van produsente in die lande van wie hulle koop en so ? oudit word tans in die Kaapse Wynland onderneem.
"Is die uitslag van ? oudit nie bevredigend is nie, word ? plan van aksie opgestel en ? oudit van dieselfde produsent weer binne 12 maande onderneem. Ons wil positiewe verandering help bewerkstellig. As ? produsent egter nie bereid is om mee te werk nie, kan ons nie voortgaan om met hom sake te doen nie," het Gerger gesê.
"Ons glo enigeen wat betrokke is by die maak van produkte wat ons verkoop, moet ? menswaardige loon ontvang. Ons is tans betrokke by die hersiening van die Gedragskode van die Nordiese Lande, en daar is alle aanduidings dat die hersiene kode, wat na verwagting in 2014 van krag sal word, ? "menswaardige loon"-vereiste sal bevat."
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UITGEREIK DEUR DKC (De Kock Kommunikasie)
NAMENS WOSA (Wines of South Africa) vir Systembolaget
DATUM UITGEREIK Donderdag, 7 Maart 2013
MEDIANAVRAE André Morgenthal, kommunikasiebestuurder, WOSA, 021 883 3860; Tessa de Kock, DKC, 021 422 2690