Stellar Organics becomes member of Biodiversity and Wine Initiative
14 August 2013
We’re proud to announce that Stellar Organic Winery has recently become a member of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. In addition to its organic and Fair Trade certification, this membership significantly highlights Stellar’s environmental management and sustainable farming programme.
The Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, a World Wildlife Foundation project, came about in an effort to conserve the Cape Floral Kingdom. The launch of this initiative in 2004 saw the wine industry forming a conservation partnership with the Botanical Society of South Africa, Conservation International and the Green Trust.
Almost 95% of the country’s wine-growing takes place in the Cape Floral Kingdom, known as the richest yet smallest floral kingdom in the world. “The Cape Floral Kingdom is recognised as a global diversity hotspot and world heritage site and has come under increasing threat from agriculture, urban development and invasive alien species.” This partnership not only assists in protecting the natural habitat, but also “encourages wine producers to farm sustainably and express the advantages of the Cape’s abundant diversity in their wines.”
The Stellar Multi-Estate has set 5197 hectares of land aside for BWI conservation. The Multi-Estate encompasses six main types of vegetation and an abundance of wildlife. Waterfowl, game and birds of prey are some of the locals, dolphins have been spotted upriver from the Olifants River mouth, next to one of the conservation wetlands and a spring at one of the inland farms is home to a colony of freshwater turtles. Stellar and the BWI will be taking an approach of minimal interference when it comes to conservation – after all, the land has looked after itself for millions of years before industrialisation.
The farming practices near the conservation area are organic, and the absence of chemicals in the vineyard helps to lessen the impact on the area’s wildlife and natural vegetation. Alien vegetation is removed regularly thanks to environmental management plans running at each of the farms within the conservation area.
Stellar's BWI certification means that they’ve been recognised as a sustainable wine producer contributing to minimising the wine industry’s impact on the environment, and more specifically, the magnificent Cape Floral Kingdom. Stellar are thrilled to have teamed up with the BWI, which has received worldwide acclaim for its pioneering approach, and a business model that “unites conservation and agricultural development in a complementary, mutually beneficial manner”.
To learn more about the WWF’s Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, click here
> Contact us
> Our Wines
> Back to News