Abstract
The main objective of the Australian Wine Environmental Stewardship Coordination project was to provide coordination and implementation support for national industry environmental initiatives. As part of this role the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) has undertaken a number of activities over the project lifespan.
Summary
For many years now the need for the Australian wine industry to operate in an efficient and sustainable manner has grown substantially. Increased cost of production, the rising Australian dollar, global financial crisis, increased international market competition, retail power and significantly increased scrutiny around how products are produced, have all put significant pressure on the Australian wine sector.
The good reputation of Australian wine has for many years been its strength, with existing perceptions holding strong in key international markets. Typically Australia has been seen as a new and exciting wine environment consisting of wide open spaces and clean production. However the industry can no longer afford to rely solely on this good reputation.
As the peak national wine industry body, the Winemakers Federation of Australia recognised these pressures and the need to provide the industry with a means of addressing them. Entwine Australia has provided industry with a national framework for continuous improvement and the sustainable, efficient production of wine.