What?
An information source on climate change & agriculture issues, a carbon calculator tool for South African
fruit & wine producers, exporters and supply chain, and data capturing resource able to provide valuable
benchmarking statistics and trends for the industry.
Why?
To understand the risks and opportunities that exist in the current and future predicted market place,
to evaluate your current systems in terms of GHG emissions and energy usage and to change where necessary to improve
on efficiency and reduce costs, and benchmark yourself against your fellow growers, producers and exporters
How?
Use the information provided on this website to understand what climate change impacts exist for you,
use the easy and quick step-by-step Carbon Calculator to evaluate your carbon status, use the results of
the audit to better manage your systems and reduce financial and physical risks going forward
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Welcome to the South African Fruit and Wine Industry Initiative project website.
Climate change is predicted to directly impact South Africa's mean annual temperature and rainfall ranges, influencing pest and disease distributions,
flowering and fruiting seasons, and ground water resources. Climate change also impacts indirectly, through the growing awareness amongst consumers
and the corresponding demand for carbon-efficient business processes. The agricultural sector is a large source of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
through activities such as land-use change, agrochemical application and fossil fuel use. In addition, South Africa's energy supply is large
coal-based, and this means that when compared to our competitive agricultural exporting nations which utilize more renewable energy sources,
our carbon footprint for is large.
On the positive side, the sector is highlighted as offering significant mitigation potential through the promotion of conservation farming techniques and
technologies which increase the carbon sequestration of land-use based practices. What is needed is an understanding of the current greenhouse gas emissions
that result from agri-production and processing activities, and how best to reduce these while maintaining product quality and quantity. That is the purpose of
this project, which aims to be interactive and informative to provide the users, like yourself, with the information you need to undertake a carbon
footprint audit, understand what the results mean, and recommend actions you can take to improve the carbon efficiency of your systems.
The Greening Game: Where do the risks and opportunities exist within your supply chain?
Take part in the carbon calculator and see what your profile looks like.
Doing a carbon footprint is much more than putting a label on your product; it's about evaluating
where your major energy requirements are, where the GHG emission hotspots are within your supply chain,
and understanding how to become more efficient through all your business processes. With electricity tariff hikes a reality and a
governmental GHG monitoring plan imminent, those who use their initiative and are early actors in this area will be better prepared
for any mandatory requirements in the future and will have sustainable business practices embedded in their businesses that will
secure their place in the market going forward.
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This project is truly a collaboration of all the players in the industry and its success relies on the active involvement of the industry
representatives. This is not just another mandatory requirement for exporting purposes- the value lies in the user undertaking the carbon
footprinting exercise to gain an understanding of their GHG emission profile through their section of the supply chain, and what it means
in terms of efficiency opportunities or potential financial risk going forward.
Please do not hesitate to contact the project team, or your industry representative if you have any comments, suggestions or questions.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Project Co-ordinator: Hugh Campbell
Tel: 021 882 8470, Email: hugh@dfptresearch.co.za
Project Manager: Shelly Fuller
Email: shellyf@genesis-analytics.com
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Increased severity of drought is predicted to be one of the major
impacts of climate change to the agricultural
sector in South Africa, particularly within the Western Cape,
the major fruit & wine region.
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The Truth: Still There, Still Inconvenient As 'Climategate' scientists are cleared, no doubt about warming remains.
July, 2010
Read more...
by James Lenfestey
Published on Monday, July 19, 2010 by Minneapolis/St. Paul Star-Tribune
On July 7, the last of three independent British commissions exonerated
prominent climate scientists at the University of East Anglia of any
wrongdoing in the so-called "Climategate," in which mysterious (and
still anonymous) hackers trashed their reputations and confused public
understanding of important climate science.
Meanwhile, back in America, prominent climatologist Michael Mann, also
reviled by critics for his "Climategate" e-mails (and for his solid
climate science), was similarly exonerated by a full review panel at
Penn State University, where he teaches. Most important, all review
panels affirmed the underlying science, and thereby the established
scientific consensus that human activity is warming the planet. "The
rigor and honesty of the scientists in not in doubt," the British panel
concluded.
This should put to rest any remaining public "skepticism" of the
scientific facts of climate change. If it doesn't, two new books will.
"Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on
Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming [1]," by science historians
Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, forcefully debunks the handful of
credentialed scientists, such as S. Fred Singer, who continue to beat
the drum against the mainstream consensus. Singer, a fellow of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, publishes his
virulent skepticism on the hospitable opinion pages of the Wall Street
Journal and from his own foundation. The authors prove him to be
practicing science outside his realm of expertise as an antiregulation
ideologue.
A second book, "The Lomborg Deception [2]" by Howard Friel, is as
devastating. Lomborg's two big books, "The Skeptical Environmentalist
[3]" and "Cool It [4]," are the bibles of climate-change nonbelievers.
Lomborg, a Danish statistician who portrays himself as a reasonable
apostate from excessive environmentalism, argues in heavily footnoted
texts that the threat of manmade global warming is "exaggerated," and
that in any event a warmer planet may be good for us.
Reputable scientists immediately smelled something fishy in Lomborg's
work. Now Freil, a journalist, has found the source of the stink. He
painstakingly tracks down every one of Lomborg's thousands of endnotes
and finds that his citations are a sea of deception. In many cases, the
sources cited by Lomborg say exactly the opposite of what he states in
his text. In others he leaves out or distorts inconvenient evidence.
Sometimes there is no source at all to be found.
Pseudo-scientists like Lomborg or hypocrites like Singer are not honest
scientific skeptics --skepticism is a valuable and necessary part of
the scientific process-- but are ideologues who believe nothing should
be done about climate change and who argue from that premise.
With these reports and books, the public debate on climate change
should finally be over.
No Americans, including conservatives, have an excuse now to say that
it is not happening, or to continue to argue that is caused by
volcanoes (fully taken into account by scientists) or by natural
climate variation (the observed evidence is way outside of historic
natural variation) or that the cause is variable solar radiation (again
outside the range of the sun's variable radiation). The only scientific
explanation for the temperature increases observed here and now is the
simultaneous dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and
methane as a result of human activities, including the waste carbon
from the burning of fossil fuels.
So I challenge conservative commentators Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh,
Sean Hannity and Katherine Kersten; the editors of the Weekly Standard,
the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Times, and the Competitive
Enterprise Institute, the Hudson Institute, the Heartland Institute,
the George C. Marshall Institute, the Cato Institute, the Center of the
American Experiment and other vehicles of opposition to mainstream
climate science to face the facts. Stop allowing yourselves to be
deceived and therefore to deceive the people who trust and depend on
you.
Put the phony crisis of "Climategate" away, along with your criticism
of the vast consensus of honest scientists working around the globe to
bring us the truth of our changing climate. Face the facts so that your
public, and the politicians who work for them, can face the facts.
The evidence is irrefutable:Global warming is upon us, and it is
primarily caused by human activities. Now what are we as one people,
and the family of nations, going to do about it?
© 2010 Star Tribune
James P. Lenfestey, Minneapolis, is a former editorial writer for the
Star Tribune
President backs green economy
May, 2010
Read more...
President Jacob Zuma threw his weight behind calls for green technologies and industries that will ensure that the country responds to the impact of climate change,
at South Africa’s Green Economy Summit held from 18-20 May 2010 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The summit was hosted by the Departments of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs, Science and Technology as well as Trade and Industry, and was attended by over 500 participants from government, business, non-governmental organizations and the environmental sector.
Convened under the overarching theme: "Towards a resource efficient, low carbon and pro-employment growth path", the summit explored different elements contributing to economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being.
Zuma delivered a keynote address on the opening day of the summit saying that government was committed to creating an enabling environment for renewable energy and meeting the energy efficiency target of 12% by 2015. He also highlighted government’s pursuit of investments in marine aquaculture development, wildlife management, waste services and ecosystems rehabilitation programmes.
He indicated that the green economy should be understood broadly: "It should seek to address the interdependence between economic growth, social protection and the preservation of natural ecosystems."
"Ecosystem failure will seriously compromise our ability to address our social and economic priorities," argued Zuma. "Natural resources are national economic assets and our economy depends heavily on energy and mineral resources, biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism." In short, he said, South Africa had no option but to manage its natural resources in a sustainable way.
A draft statement of conclusion on the closing day set out a resolution that participants work together on cross-cutting issues including developing a green economy plan, a supportive regulatory framework to enable the development of sector action plans and related green markets and industries, sustainable consumption and production, clean energy and energy efficiency.
For more information, visit www.sagreeneconomysummit.co.za
WWF-South Africa releases report on Agriculture: Facts & Trends
May, 2010
Read more...
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The report provides a snapshot of the overwhelming evidence that South Africa needs to better environmental practices if we want to ensure ongoing productive agricultural systems and food security.
Covering topics such as Land& Soil, Water, Biodiversity & Ecosystems, Economics, and Social Considerations, the information has been compiled from diverse and reliable sources to illustrate the state of
South Africa's agricultural resources and is intended to stimulate debate and catalyse collaboration throughout the agricultural value chain.
Click on the report or visit WWF-SA website to download a copy of the report.
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Packaging giants Tetra Pak and Ball Corporations show their commitment to shifting their products in to the green light.
June, 2010
Read more...
Packaging giants Tetra Pak and Ball Corporation both underlined their green credentials as they presented new sustainability initiatives.
"Our ultimate goal is to have all supply certified to the highest standard, currently set by FSC.
We are committed to increasing the number of Tetra Pak beverage cartons made from FSC-certified material as the availability of certified board increases,"
said Sven Weidemann, managing director of Tetra Pak Germany and Switzerland.
Since the introduction of the world’s first FSC-labelled liquid food cartons in the UK in 2007, the company has introduced the green cartons in China, France and the Benelux countries, supplying more than 2.3bn globally every year.
Energy efficiency
Ball Packaging Europe said it had cut natural gas consumption by 11 per cent between 2007 and 2009. The company also modernised its pressure-compressors – some of the most energy-intensive equipment in it can facilities. Last year, it invested around €500,000 each in installing a so-called adsorption rotor in the afterburning plant at its facilities in Hermsdorf, Germany and Bierne, France. This system is used to clean the air in the afterburning process using significantly less energy.
Over the next two years, the firm said it planned to reduce its electricity use in Europe by a further eight %, while also lowering natural gas and water consumption by 4.9% each per 1,000 cans produced.
"We are working systematically to improve and control our energy and resource efficiency, define objectives and initiate programs to make both our production processes and the business as a whole more sustainable," says Björn Kulmann, Manager Sustainability at Ball Packaging Europe.
Source:FoodProductionDaily
South African wine industry launches first sustainability seal.
April, 2010
Read more...
 | The South African Wine and Spirit Board (WSB) has launched the world’s first sustainability seal on bottled wines.
The seal, available from the 2010 harvest year, certifies that the wine has been grown and produced sustainably and requires the following criteria to be met: |
- that the vintage, variety (ies) and origin that are stated on the label are correct,
- that the wine is traceable from vine to the bottle,
- the wine is produced and bottled in South Africa,
- every link in the supply chain has to be Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) accredited : the farm, the winery and the bottling plant.
Key elements of the IPW scheme include integrated pest management, the health of workers, the conservation of biodiversity, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the IPW and WSB figures, to date more than 95% of the South African wine industry has been following sustainable wine-growing and wine making principles.
It is expected that about 50% of the country's producers will make use of the new seal for the 2010 vintage, potentially increasing to 80% from the 2011 vintage.
For more information see www.ipw.co.za and www.swsa.co.za.
FAO booklet Released: Carbon Finance Possibilities for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) Projects in a Smallholder Context
May, 2010
Read more...
 | A new booklet "Carbon Finance Possibilities for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) Projects in a Smallholder Context." has been released by FAO. It aims to guide extension service advisors and institutions who work with small-scale farmers and foresters with an interest in carbon finance and carbon projects. Its aim is to support setting-up carbon projects which involve small-scale farmers. Their participation allows them to be involved in the development and implementation of the project, influence the design of the project to generate positive impacts for the farmers and increase their knowledge about carbon finance. |
Please see:http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/data/nrc/FAOCarbonFinanceBooklet.pdf
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