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What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity refers
to all the genes, species, ecosystems and
processes that allow life to persist over time.
When biodiversity is intact, species and
ecosystems are resilient, enabling them to adapt
to environmental changes. When biodiversity is
lost, nature responds unpredictably, making it
difficult for growers to plan production and
protect natural resources.
Why a
Biodiversity & Wine Initiative? The Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK) is the smallest
yet richest plant kingdom on earth, and has
earned international recognition as a global
biodiversity hotspot and as South Africa's
newest World Heritage Site. However, the CFK is
under increasing threat from agriculture, urban
development and invasive alien species, with
only 9% of the unique renosterveld and lowland
fynbos ecosystems remaining, and much of the
succulent karoo also under threat. Since 80% of
the CFK is privately owned, landowner
participation in conservation efforts is
essential. The most effective method of reaching
landowners is through the agricultural
industries that they supply.
South Africa is the
world's eighth largest producer of wine,
contributing 3.5% of the global wine production.
Because approximately 90% of wine production
occurs within the CFK, concern is mounting that
some of the region's most vulnerable natural
habitat might be targeted for vineyard
expansion. Following an initial study by the
Botanical Society of South Africa and
Conservation International, the wine industry
and the conservation sector have embarked on a
pioneering partnership to conserve the rich
biodiversity of the CFK.
The BWI presents a great opportunity to both the
wine and conservation sectors. The wine industry
benefits from leveraging the biodiversity of the
CFK as a competitive marketing advantage, and
from using the BWI as a tool to achieve
sustainable natural resource management, as
prioritised in the Wine Industry Strategy Plan.
The conservation sector benefits from pioneering
biodiversity best practices in the wine
industry, and from conserving the CFK's most
threatened habitats for future generations.
The importance of
the Little Karoo and BWI
The Southern Karoo region is a unique and
exceptionally diverse part of the Succulent
Karoo Biome, encompassing diverging landscapes,
flora, fauna, climate, soils and geology. The
Little Karoo forms an integral part of this
region, its importance emphasised in its vast
untamed wilderness and the fact that the
different conservation areas form natural
corridors between several biomes such as fynbos,
succulents and renosterveldt. In many places
the biomes come together and occur intertwined,
mostly as mosaics throughout the region.
What is the Little
Karoo Wine Route members contributing?
The Little
Karoo’s BWI members contribute 25% of the
project’s conservation area, showing their
dedication to sustainable farming and
conservation. Their combined actions
include:
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1.1 |
Setting
vast areas aside for conservation.
Most of the conserved natural area in
the Little Karoo is still in a pristine
condition. Previously overgrazed and
eroded areas due to overgrazing in the
past are also being restored, as
livestock has been removed from most of
these areas. |
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1.2 |
Members
have implemented BWI guidelines
such as energy saving, water saving,
effective waste management and are
committed to conserve the natural flora
and fauna on their farms. |
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1.3 |
Many work
close together with other initiatives
like the Gouritz Initiative.
These initiatives are combining
individual conservation areas to form
important conservation corridors.
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1.4 |
The
Herold Conservancy. In the eastern
part of the region the Herold
Conservancy was established to
coordinate the control of alien
vegetation, restoration and protection
of the flora and fauna, documentation
and preservation of the history and
historical sites, education, job
creation and community upliftment, in
the area. |
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1.5 |
The Mons
Ruber Nature Reserve was established
1989, under the S.A Natural Heritage
program (site 78). 400 ha have been put
aside for conservation, dominated by
unique red hills. The origin of these
hills goes back as far as 180 million
years ago, when powerful forces along a
fault in the earth's crust caused a deep
basin to develop here. |
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1.6 |
Spekboom.
Boplaas Family Vineyards are committed
to the implementation of sustainable
solutions to tackle the climate change
issue and reduce environmental damage.
Their 2 223 hectares of conservation
area consist mostly of valley thicket
and arid thicket vegetation. One of the
many succulents found in the Calitzdorp
area, the spekboom (Portulacaria afra),
dominates the valley thicket area. Its
importance lies in the fact that it is
one of the most efficient plants in
sequestrating carbon and is very useful
in the battle with soil erosion. |
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1.7 |
Leopard
Trust. Another conservation project
includes the Leopard Trust where
leopards are monitored in a 100 000 ha
area using 12 cameras. It is interesting
to know that on most of the member
farms, leopards have made a comeback due
to the removal of live stock and the
subsequent tolerance of the farmers.
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1.8 |
Biological farming. Several farms
make use of biological farming methods (Karusa/Bergwater/Joubert-Tradauw).
All agricultural actions are aimed at an
organic approach and to farm in harmony
with nature and to minimize all impacts
on the natural environment. |
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This includes cover crops, green
manuring, the use of compost
teas, as well as the re-use of
run-off from a dairy. |
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Due
to the semi-arid climate of the
Little Karoo, the need to use
pesticide and fungicides is
minimal, compared to other wine
regions. |
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Planting all new vineyards on
existing cultivated land, or old
fields. |
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Cultivated land has been
landscaped to prevent erosion
(by following contours of the
landscape) and minimum tillage
has been used. |
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1.9 |
Controlling and clearing alien
vegetation from rivers. |
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1.10 |
Baboon-damage is being effectively
controlled with electric
fencing and zone nets are
used to avoid bird-damage. |
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1.11 |
Donating
profits of wines sales to finance
conservation efforts. |
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1.12 |
Succulent
species are highly prized by collectors
and are threatened by illegal collection
and trade. Some members have appointed
staff to patrol the areas on a
full-time basis. |
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1.13 |
To
inform visitors to see the full
spectrum of flora in the Barrydale area,
a Heritage Garden was established
at the cellar. |
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1.14 |
The Montagu
district has a rich history of
traditional medicinal remedies handed
down by the endemic Khoisan people who
lived in this area. Many of these plants
are found in this conservation area and
some of these herbal remedies are still
used today, keeping up to date by the
Montagu Museum Medicinal Herb Project. |
BWI membership
list:
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Co-ops:
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Montagu
Wine Cellar; Montagu Wine & Spirits
Company; Southern Cape Vineyards. |
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Producers:
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De
Krans Wines; Bergwater Vineyards; Herold
Wines; Joubert-Tradauw; Karusa
Vineyards; Boplaas Family Vineyards;
Grundheim Wines; Mons Ruber; Fernskloof
Wines; Herold Wines. |
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Members:
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Rosevilla; Vanzylsdamme. |
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