Investigating environmental management practices within the Northern Cape wine supply chain

Background: Environmental management systems and practices have become a necessity in wine supply chains, given their vulnerability to climate change. Climate change could lead to a 55% loss of wine-cultivating land in South Africa by 2050, which would harm the first two tiers of the wine supply chain. Objectives: The objective was to investigate the current environmental systems and practices applied in the first two tiers of the Northern Cape wine supply chain. Method: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted by semi-structured interviews to determine the various environmental management systems and practices adopted by role players. The data collected were analysed by thematic analysis. Results: The results indicated the implementation of an environmental management tool, namely the Integrated Production of Wine scheme. Supportive practices such as water- and energy-wise approaches, soil management and waste management were also identified. Furthermore, a sincere relationship between farmers, cellars and viticulturists results in collaboration based on mutual information sharing and cooperation between role players to reduce their environmental impact. Conclusion: The various environmental management practices and the collaborative approach between role players can serve as an example to other agricultural supply chains.