The program has been developed over the past five years with support from the South Australia government and is quickly becoming renowned for its comprehensive nature and long-term vision.

McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association (MVGWTA) consultant CEO Marc Allgrove said the move to share the program is about investing in the future of the Australian wine industry. 

“Our community has worked hard to develop Australia’s only true sustainability program for wine grapes and now, by opening it up to grape growers around the country, we hope that regions across the country will benefit,” he said. 

“Participating growers receive a comprehensive report on their substantiality status and have access to an online spray diary that correlates chemical usage with individual blocks via GPS coordinates.

The program will provide Australian growers and regions with meaningful benchmarks which will help increase understanding of regional issues and specific vineyard issues, along with providing pathways for continual development and improvements,” Mr Allgrove said. 

Mr Allgrove said the program will be able to be adapted to meet the needs of other agriculture and horticulture industries, so the opportunities for  Australia agribusiness are only limited by imagination and commitment,” he said. 

Mr Allgrove said he looked forward to supporting growers and regions as they adopt SAW to meet their regional needs. 

MCGWTA Sustainability Officer and local grower, DR Irina Santiago-Brown recently completed her PhD at the university of Adelaide, reviewing sustainability programs around the world.

Dr Santiago-Brown said her learnings have been applied in the development of Sustainable Australia Winegrowing.

“The system is about helping people to become better growers and allowing them to determine the  path they want to follow to achieve that,” she said.

“SAW was conceived to promote continuous improvement of its members through a practical approach and peer-reviewed content.

“Sustainable Australia Winegrowing is about the future. We must ensure that we hand over that for which we are responsible in a manner that ensures future generations can now only continue to enjoy what we enjoy today, but that they can make a living from it,” she said.

Sustainable Australia Winegrowing is Entwine accredited and involves a participation  fee depending on state and region.

To become part of the program, visit sustainableaustralia.info