Five more wine farms have been welcomed into the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s prestigious Conservation Champion programme, joining 50 other champions in the Cape Winelands.
Highberry
The Cape Winelands overlaps two major global biodiversity hotspots – the Cape floral kingdom and the succulent Karoo. Biodiversity loss is among the top environmental risks according to the 2021 Global Risk Report from the World Economic Forum.
Reflecting on WWF’s theme for International Biodiversity Day on 22 May, Shelly Further, WWF’s Fruit and Wine programme manager, commented that ‘there could not be a better time to welcome our five new WWF Conservation Champions’.
‘We are delighted to extend our recognition to these farms that promote farming in harmony with nature in our uniquely biodiverse corner of the world,’ Further added.
Creation Wines
The five new wine farms to have joined the WWF Conservation Champion programme are:
- Creation Wines (Hemel-en-Aarde)
- DeMorgenzon (Stellenbosch)
- Hasher Family Estate (Hemel-en-Aarde)
- Highberry (Somerset West)
- Warwick Wine Estate (Stellenbosch)
WWF Conservation Champions are acknowledged as environmental leaders in the wine industry for their exceptional commitment to regenerative farming practices, including implementing responsible production practices, spearheading innovations in water and energy efficiency and conserving previously unprotected ecosystems to provide a habitat for many rare and endangered species.
Warwick Wine Estate
Many of the farms have set aside land for conservation to protect the rich and diverse biodiversity, rehabilitated vast sections of the area through alien invasive clearing projects, and diversified their offering to attract more visitors and contribute to ecotourism.
Collectively, the 55 wine farms recognised as WWF Conservation Champions own 45 263 hectares of land spread across the Cape Winelands from Constantia to Robertson, and from Stellenbosch to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Of this land, 24 372 hectares are now conserved as a pristine part of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
Pictures: Supplied
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