A Clean And Green Wine Industry: The conflicting relationship between carbon footprint and poverty

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A CLEAN AND GREEN WINE INDUSTRY
The conflicting relationship between carbon footprint and poverty
by Charl Theron
The so-called carbon footprint grading of products according to the emission of hothouse gases during production or supply thereof to markets has become a topical qualification prerequisite for large supermarket chains. This clinical calculation gives rise to scientific and moral questions.
Environmental concern has infiltrated everyday life. People are increasingly involved in actions to conserve water, recycle and use fewer plastic bags, for example.
The wine industries of Australia, California, New Zealand and South Africa have collaborated to develop a method by which a winery may calculate its carbon footprint. The details may be obtained on the websites www.wfa.org.au or www.ipw.co.za.
The concept of food miles contributes to the carbon footprint of any product, as it implies the distance from the production locality to the eventual market. The further the required distance to transport the product, the bigger the carbon footprint. Depending on the particular production process, the importance of food miles may be overemphasised. Studies undertaken in the UK have indicated that the impact of food supply from industrialised countries on global warming cannot simply be compared to the food miles of countries that are far removed from the market. The carbon footprint of New Zealand dairy products, lamb and apples for example is four times smaller than similar products produced in the UK, even taking into account the transport, by ship, of those products to the UK. The same applies to the carbon footprint of flowers cultivated in Kenya and transported to the UK by air, which is only one fifth that of flowers cultivated in Holland in hothouses that require heating and lighting and are transported to the UK over a much shorter distance. Besides the fact that it may be unfair to boycott agricultural products from Africa based on scientific facts, the implications of such boycotts could have far-reaching effects for the workers who are directly or indirectly involved in the production of export products (Müller, 2007).
The same argument may apply to the South African wine industry. If South African wines are discriminated against based on food miles, the consequences for thousands of workers in the wine industry may be negative.
Obviously the question arises as to where one would find possible solutions. Besides feasible political solutions, the following aspects deserve attention:

Labelling of products in such a way that the benefits of a reduced carbon footprint are emphasised in conjunction with the community benefits of the product in question.
A move away from transport that uses more fuel and consequently impacts on the carbon footprint. Shipping transport should be adjusted to reduce the disadvantages thereof, compared to air transport. (Müller, 2007).
The international wine sector should reduce the packaging waste that arises annually from wine. The use of environmentally friendly material and possible recycling of packaging material should enjoy preference (Merletti, 2008).
References
Merletti, Rob. 2008. The Green Revolution Is Here. Vineyard & Winery Management, May/June 2008: 8.
Müller, Benito. 2007. Oxford Energy and Environment Comment. Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, October 2007: 6 pages.
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