Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA)

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) is a program that works across Australia to help people who grow grapes and make wine show and improve how they take care of the environment. They look at everything: how to protect nature, help local communities, and run successful businesses. The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) manages the program, with support from Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia. By following the best ways of doing things from around the world and working toward United Nations goals for a better future, SWA helps its members stay leaders in taking care of the environment.

Main Goals of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

1. Demonstrate Commitment: SWA gives members a way to show everyone they care about protecting nature.
2. Continuous Improvement: It helps members find better ways to work in their vineyards and make wine.
3. Benchmarking: The program lets members check how well they're doing compared to others in the wine business.
4. Consumer Confidence: It helps wine buyers know the wine they choose comes from people who care about doing things right.

Main Areas of Focus

SWA works on five main things to make sure they're taking care of everything that matters:

• Land and Soil: Teaching ways to keep soil healthy and take care of the land.
• Water: Finding smart ways to use water and save it when possible.
• People & Business: Making sure both workers and local communities do well.
• Biodiversity: Protecting local plants and animals that live near the vineyards.
• Energy and Waste: Using less power and finding good uses for leftover materials.

History of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia started from a smaller program called Sustainable Australia Winegrowing Program (SAW), which began in McLaren Vale in 2011. The first program helped grape growers work in ways that were better for the environment.

In 2019, SAW grew into Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, becoming a bigger program that worked all across the country. It joined together ideas from SAW and another program called Entwine Australia. When SWA started in July 2019, it marked an important step in getting all Australian wine makers to work together to protect the environment.

A Look at the Numbers

Here's what SWA looks like now:

• Total Members: 1,820
• Certified Members: 1,003
• Total Vineyard Area: 98,800 hectares
• Total Grape Crush from Members: 1.19 million tonnes

Supporting Members Every Step of the Way

Sustainable Winegrowing Australia gives members helpful tools, information about how others are doing, and an easy way to report their work online. This helps wine businesses work better, save money, and become more valuable over time, while helping make the wine industry better for the environment.