Vineyard site "Niersteiner Glöck" at sunset. Above the vineyard site lies the Kilianskirche, a landmark in Nierstein., © Torsten Silz© Torsten Silz

Award for Sustainability 2018 goes to

Fair'n Green Sustainability Management System

The Sustainability Award went to the sustainability management system of Fair'n Green eV (Bonn) in 2018. The award was presented in the Open category because Fair'n Green sheds light on all aspects of a business. A jury composed of scientists, consultants and practitioners discussed and decided. The award ceremony took place during the opening of Agrartage 2018 on January 24, 2018 at 9:00 am in tent A2 (booth A2.1) of the large machinery and equipment exhibition in Nieder-Olm.

The Sustainability Award went to the sustainability management system of Fair'n Green eV (Bonn) in 2018. The award was presented in the Open category because Fair'n Green sheds light on all aspects of a business. A jury composed of scientists, consultants and practitioners discussed and decided. The award ceremony took place during the opening of Agrartage 2018 on January 24, 2018 at 9:00 am in tent A2 (booth A2.1) of the large machinery and equipment exhibition in Nieder-Olm.

The award-winning service is a management system that applies environmental, social and economic criteria to the sustainable development of a winery and its region in all areas of a winery, from cultivation, oenology and marketing to business organization and management accounting. For example, the association is very well connected with the industry's research and educational institutions. The certified wineries are therefore always up to date in terms of research and development in the areas of sustainability and benefit from both, the company-specific assessment and from possible benchmarks in the industry.

The sustainability system Fair'n Green is - regardless of the way in which wineries operate - interesting for both, conventional and organic farms.

The jury particularly appreciated the network idea and the exchange between members, which the association cultivates. This ensures the continuous improvement process. In addition, the certification system provides a self-explanatory label that identifies the wines from sustainable viticulture. A plus for the increasing demand for sustainably produced products in Germany, but also on important export markets such as the Scandinavian countries, the USA and Asia.

So far, more than 30 wineries are certified according to the guidelines of Fair'n Green. Among them are many well-known German wineries, who promote their responsibility for the environment and for future generations and commit themselves to sustainability on the basis of this motivation publically.

The Sustainability Award 2018 was announced for the seventh time in a row. The intention of this competition is to reward products, systems and services that promote sustainable business practices for wine companies. The jury assesses both: criteria of ecological and social compatibility, as well as economic aspects. The competition is an initiative of the former alumni of Oppenheim (VEO) and the DLR Rheinhessen-Nahe-Hunsrück as organizer of the Agrartage in Nieder-Olm together with Rheinhessenwein e.V.

The Sustainability Award was also announced this year in the categories Viticulture, Oenology, Marketing and the Open Category. Only exhibitors from the equipment and machinery exhibition in Nieder-Olm can apply. The applications in the categories viticulture, oenology and marketing could not convince the jury unfortunately. Essential for the award are environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and economically interesting attributes, but also the practicality, which the jury members put to the test for each application, as the excellent products and services should be directly applicable.

Contact information for inquiries:

Simone Renth-Queins
Telephone: 0179/5299649
Email: simone.renth-queins@rheinhessenwein.de

Sonja Ostermayer
Rheinhessen wine registered association, telephone: 06731/95107413
Email: sonja.ostermayer@rheinhessenwein.de

Norbert Breier
Association of former Rheinhessen student Oppenheim (VEO)
Tel .: 06133 / 930-160, Email: norbert.breier@dlr.rlp.de

Florian Reinert
Fair'n Green eV
Cologne street 47
53111 Bonn
Telephone: 0228/886 844 86
Email: Florian.Reinert@fair-and-green.d e