Climate Change and Organic Viticulture

Josefine Pettersson has a Masters of Organic Agriculture coupled with industry experience in both cropping and livestock. Having worked in the EU and Australia, she brings a new perspective of organic agriculture and insight to advancing opportunities of Australian producers. As part of her Technical Officer role at AOL, she is focused on standards development, sustainability of production and market access to further advance the organic industry.

Recipient of innumerable wine, viticulture and environmental accolades, Vanya is a wealth of knowledge for navigating the carbon market, sustainability, soil and outstanding wine. Vanya Cullen has been winemaking at her family’s Biodynamic Wilyabrup estate since 1983. She was appointed to Chief Winemaker in 1989 and Managing Director in 1999. During that time, she rigorously experimented in the vineyard (especially with soil and trellis management) and in the winery, all the while looking to give her wines greater complexity. Cullen Wines while remaining family-owned, has since evolved making quality wine from a certified Biodynamic, Carbon Positive and naturally powered estate.

Cullen Wines have seen a 1.9% increase in soil organic matter over the past 5 years. One of the biggest impacts of any organisation is its greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and its influence on climate change. To that end, Cullen Wines have engaged a Western Australian consultancy company, Carbon Neutral, since 2006 to generate full organisational GHG inventories. In addition to this, they have introduced sustainable packaging initiatives including the introduction of carbon reduced bottles among many other initiatives.

Hayley is the Chief Environmental Officer for Tahbilk Winery in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria. Established in 1860, Tahbilk is one of Australia’s most beautiful and historic organic family-owned wineries. Hayley has brought the family business into the 21st century, ensuring the family leaves a sustainable legacy for future generations to come.

For the best part of the last two decades, Tahbilk has been committed to restoring the delicate environmental balance, moving in a positive direction towards reducing carbon emissions. Since 2013 they have reduced their emissions by 45% across the organisation and are carbon neutral. With the help of some 160ha of native revegetation on the Estate and the purchase of offsite carbon credits, they continue to be the only winery in Australia accredited carboNZero at a product and organisation level. She is committed to Landcare with an emphasis on increasing biodiversity. The contribution to the environment through Tahbilk initiatives has attracted some amazing people into the business who are equally aligned and passionate.

Hayley wants more of an industry focus on climate change so that the wine industry can do better collectively to highlight the benefits of organic wine collectively compared to just one company.

A third-generation farmer, Richard and his family own and operate 50 hectares of vineyard, a vineyard management business and wine brand Hither & Yon in South Australia. Richard is a 2019 Nuffield Farming Scholarship recipient, which gave him the opportunity to travel the world investigating regenerative agriculture as a farming system.

Richard is extremely focused on soil and regenerative agriculture. He sees regenerative agriculture as a sustainable way to combat some of the effects climate change is having on Australia’s vineyards. At its core, soil health involves two key players: soil carbon and soil microbiome. Their Hither & Yon wine business and products are 100% carbon offset through the Climate Active program with vast experience in the renewable energy sector. With a strong focus in reducing energy use on-farm to encouraging the fungal microbiome ration in the soil to consistently aiming for plants with a high Brix, Richard is not certified organic, however, highlights the sustainability changes required for the organic sector to continually improve in this space.