The “Wine, Climate Change & Biodiversity Program” is a scientific initiative by the University Austral of Chile’s Ecology & Biodiversity Institute aimed at showing the compatibility between the conservation of biodiversity and the development of the Chilean wine industry.
The program began in 2007 to promote the protection of the biodiversity of Chile’s Mediterranean ecosystem, which is sub-represented in the National System of Protected Areas. Central Chile’s ecosystems, which contain more than 50% of the species of flora and vertebrates in Chile, have been greatly affected by human activity.
Our research focuses on understanding how natural landscapes can continue to provide environmental services to the industry as well as to local communities in a setting of increasing human impact and future climate change.
At Viña Viu Manent we have applied the following actions that contribute to the development of the biodiversity in our vineyards.
– Biodiversity Awareness: the process began by working with every area of the company to raise awareness of the importance of these issues.
We had a Biodiversity Seminar so that representatives from every area of the company could learn about the program and see in practical terms the many ways and areas that improvements were possible.
Later field trips helped them put what they had learned into practice and truly see the importance and value of biodiversity in practical terms and then be able to share their experience and knowledge with the people around them.
After this initial stage we undertook a series of other actions, such as:
–Defining areas for the conservation of biodiversity within our vineyards.
-Installing platforms for birds of prey.
-Preparing a professional inventory of the biodiversity.
-A program to monitor the species harmful to the native fauna.
-Programs to eradicate introduces plant species (such as acacias and eucalyptus)
-A reforestation program for native species in conjunction with CONAF.
-Encouraging the proliferation and conservation of biological corridors.
All of these measures have contributed on a daily basis to the development of biodiversity (native flora and fauna) in our vineyards, which will gradually deliver the ecosystemic benefits they provide.