Sustainable Program 2022-2023
Inspired by nature San Polo’s path of eco-sustainability was born decades ago with the objective of protecting the environment, reducing water resources and implementing mindful agricultural processes. San Polo is a winery fully dedicated to Sustainability and was the first in Tuscany to have obtained the CasaClima Wine certification in 2013. In 2017, San Polo was officially certified for Organic viticulture.
- Dry farming in order to minimize water usage (vine roots systems go deeper in soil, achieving greater nutrient balance and adaptability to harsh conditions) - Use of cover crops: legumes for fertilization and mustard seed, rapeseed, phacelia & horseradish for soil decompaction - Certified organic fertilizers Sustainability requirements include:
- Aeration of soils to encourage development of microorganisms - Use of nutrients such as seaweed and other natural derived proteins to boost immune system of the vine - Use of antagonistic insects and hormonal confusion to discourage pest infestation - Microclimate monitoring: use of “weather hut” to track humidity, rain fall, temperature and leaf moisture transpiration) Sustainability requirements include: Cover crop Soil Decompaction Hormonal confusion ”Crimping” with roller
Our responsibility As proof of the company's constant commitment to safety, QUALITY and COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES that regulate the agri-food sector, Poggio al Tesoro received: BRCGS CERTIFICATION, the global standard for food safety recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (gfsi). EQUALITAS CERTIFICATION, which aims to promote the sustainability of the agri-food and wine supply chains, first of all, on the basis of a vision and an approach aimed at bringing businesses, society and the market into contact.
Our responsability The standard EQUALITAS ECONOMIC ENVIROMENTAL SOCIAL ability to generate income and work ability to maintain the quality and reproducibility of natural resources ability to guarantee conditions of human well-being (human rights, working practices, fair operating practices, consumer protection, community involvement and development, the cultural quality and healthiness of the product and its consumption gesture). The standard provides objective and verifiable requirements for each of the three pillars of sustainability 1 2 WFP – WATER FOOTPRINT CFP – CARBON FOOTPRINT BF – BIODIVERSITY FRIEND 3
Our responsibility at 360° Clients Consumers Suppliers KEY FACTORS • Company solidity • Product quality and safety • Correctness of information • Punctuality in deliveries • Quick responses TOOLS • Business meetings • Sharing specifications • Detailed product techniques • Email with internal contacts • Technical audits • Product quality • Transparency and rightness of information • Internet site • Social channels • Hospitality in the winery • Continuity of supply • Compliance with contractual conditions • Involvement in defining supply standards • Openness in resolving any problems
Employees Public entities • Training and personal development • Educational and stimulating environment • Equal opportunities • Fairness of treatment • Involvement in the corporate way • Promotion of well-being • Personal/work life balance • Internal meetings and meetings • Adequate training plan • Administration of questionnaires for company climate • Sharing of the sustainability policy and code of ethics • Responsible management of the business and payment of taxes and duties • Communication with the relevant offices KEY FACTORS Our responsibility at 360°
We believe in our employees 90% of our employees have fixed contract We constantly check the Turnover of our employees and the reason of changing
Employees can say what they think Anonymous Survey to track the work environment
Security is a must 0% accidents in the last year
Training is very important • in 2022, numerous training courses were carried out both with regards to food safety, since the organization is certified according to the BRCGS standard, both with regards to workplace safety and with regard to sustainability. • All operators are trained on all the central topics provided by the company policy, organization chart, code of ethics and anti-corruption policy
Suppliers • All suppliers need to be homologated; they all have a requirement of at least 12 out of 15. • Suppliers with lower gradients cannot be approved or, in any case, they need to be checked at least annually. • As regards suppliers, a new questionnaire has been issued on 28.09.22 which will be administered to newcomers. • This questionnaire tends to go more specific with regard to sustainability matters it is highlighted that there are no outsourcers but only companies that contracting certain works, such as for example, pruning of vines etc. • There is no outsourcing of processes.
Social economic sustainability According to the EQUALITAS STANDARD, practices are: These good practices are achieved through: 1. analysis of the workforce with indication of the breakdown by age, gender and type of contract. 2. Code of Ethics shared with employees. 3. non-admission of any discrimination in hiring and in the duration of the employment relationship both from the point of view of the person and of remuneration or any other condition from which discrimination may arise. 4. constant valorisation of human resources in a "family" environment which provides for the cultural and professional growth of the individual worker through awareness-raising and training activities. 5. Launch of a phase of distribution of questionnaires for the community, aimed at gathering ideas for improvement. 6. Economic investments planned by the company for sustainability defined annually within the company budget • Good social practices towards workers • Good relations with the territory and the local community • good corporate economic practices towards employees and suppliers.
Environment We have been operating with respect for the environment for many years. We strongly believe in this and it’s uncaptured in our philosophy. Environment indicators : Biodiversity, Carbon Footprint, Water Footprint Good practice in the Vineyard Good practice in the cellar and in the bottling Good socio-economic practices
Sustainable Vineyard good practices • Soil management • Fertility management • Irrigation • Plant management • Defence management • Harvest management • Biodiversity management • Choice of new systems and maintenance
Sustainable Vineyard- how do we do it We do “Green manure” in spring: below we have planted mustard flowers
Sustainable Vineyard- how do we do it Irrigation is not practiced unless in case of emergency.
Sustainable Vineyard- how do we do it Prevention of parasitic attacks through management of the foliage and sub-row and careful research of the vegetative-productive balance of the plant
Sustainable Vineyard- how do we do it San Polo winery was built in 2005 according to the principles of bio-architecture, was born from the desire to create a structure belonging to the territory, in harmony with it, original and at the same time functional. The available space, enclosed between the hill and the road, gave rise to the shape of the architecture: the cellar is made up of two arched, almost parallel bands, dedicated respectively to aging and winemaking. The structure is completely underground and reflects the level curves of the place, fitting naturally into the existing context. The construction techniques used respond to criteria of maximum sustainability and minimum environmental impact: the containment of the hill's soil was achieved through the reinforced earth technique which eliminates the need to remove excavation materials; the use of prefabricated elements guaranteed rapid execution times and cost reduction.
Sustainable cellar how do we do it Expertise of our winemaker Motivated staff Tailor Grape picking ( e.g. on the early hour of the morning to preserve the flavours and the right temperature.)
According to the Equalitas standard, the areas of intervention for the adoption of good cellar and bottling practices are: • collection • winemaking and bottling • Cleaning and sanitizing of premises and equipment • packaging • purified wastewater reuse plan • waste containment plan These good practices are achieved through passionate and qualified staff who, thanks to their skills, follow the creation of the product from the vineyard to the bottle; • Harvesting of the grapes in the coolest hours of the night or in the early hours of the morning to manage a correct temperature; • Clarifies in a static manner based on the quality of the grapes; • Assignment of a code to each vineyard in order to vinify the grapes separately and to emphasise, discover and best manage the individual characteristics of each vineyard. • Pre-bottling checks (sulphur level, degree of turbidity) and any filtration; or bottling, once the desired stability and sensorial characteristics of the wine have been achieved. • Recording of every single analysis, addition, decanting or cut that is carried out on every single mass. • Constant cleaning of the cellar environment, of the machinery used and of the tanks, with a view to rationalizing consumption Sustainable in the cellar and bottling
Sustainable Vineyard- how do we do it • We are organic • No chemical fertilizers are added, and products based on copper and Sulphur are the only one used.
The Biodiversity indicator evaluates the environmental aspects by applying the procedures envisaged by the "Biodiversity Indices", (created in 2010 by WBA Onlus) for the evaluation of the conservation of biodiversity in agriculture, within the "Biodiversity Friend®" protocol ”. We detect and track the presence of particular organisms, defined as biological indicators: • Lycian Biodiversity Index : presence and frequency of epiphytes lyrics detected on the cortex of trees. • Aquatic Biodiversity Index: presence and frequency of aquatic animals • Soil Biodiversity Index: based on the analysis of soil samples in which the presence of soil invertebrates is detected (annelids, collembolas, mites, isopods, myriapods, insects.) Biodiversity indicators
Biodiversity indicators: quality of the air via the application of Lycian Biodiversity Index Lichens are organisms formed by the symbiosis between a fungus and an algae whose metabolism is strictly dependent on the air. Lichens can give excellent indications on the level of alteration of the atmosphere as they have a high absorption capacity and accumulation of substances present in it, they are very resistant to environmental stress, they cannot free polluted parts, they are very long-lived, slow to develop and have a high sensitivity to pollutants. Lycian biodiversity index In the assessment of air quality, lichens can be used both as gas bio-indicators of phytotoxic and as bio-accumulators of trace metals.
Biodiversity indicators: quality of the air via the application of Lycian Biodiversity Index Lycian biodiversity index The sensitivity of lichens is particularly relevant towards fungicides, but also herbicides and insecticides have a significant impact on them. Specifically, it has been shown that lichen species richness is negatively influenced by frequency of pesticide treatments
Biodiversity indicators: quality of the air via the application of Lycian Biodiversity Index The results of the activity carried out made it possible to ascertain that the lichen communities of the places monitored are overall well developed and varied, defining an attributable situation to a very good condition and reflecting a homogeneous continuity in the compositions and in their intrinsic value, maintaining an average number (9) of species considered sufficient. Values of Lichen Biodiversity remained very good on average. With a value equal to one IBL-bf average of 89 points, the indicator requirement is considered to have been met, to be attributed to the entire area investigated (total macro-area).
Biodiversity indicators: biological quality of surface water through the application of the aquatic biodiversity index (iba-bf) Acquatic biodiversity index The Biotic index strategy is based on the identification of macroinvertebrates, whose sensitivity towards water quality is well known; for this reason, they are defined as bioindicators. The community of benthic macroinvertebrates of a watercourse is, therefore, particularly suitable to be used in bioindication, as: 1) it is found in an environment with limited seasonal variations, 2) it is easy to sample, 3) it is abundant and generally always available.
The Aquatic Biodiversity Index of the Biodiversity Friend® protocol evaluates how much an environment aquatic environment, as a whole, is conducive to hosting significant biodiversity. In the IBA-bf survey sheet, the analysis of the faunal component is preceded by surveys on the main chemical-physical parameters of water: temperature, pH, electrical conductivity and oxygen dissolved. Biodiversity indicators: biological quality of surface water through the application of the aquatic biodiversity index (iba-bf) Acquatic biodiversity index Sampling of aquatic fauna is carried out using a sleeved net aquatic macroinvertebrates, but also from the shore, investigating the lower surfaces of stones and between bottom debris. After completing the sampling, the Biodiversity Index is calculated Aquatics of the station by adding all the scores obtained in each section of the sheet: hydro morphology, taxonomic diversity and pollution tolerance.
Following a direct investigation in the monitored area, the absence was found during the days monitoring and for territorial conformation, of typical situations characterized by water superficial sweet not lentic, not even ephemeral. This condition has been confirmed also from interviews with local hosts Biodiversity indicators: biological quality of surface water through the application of the aquatic biodiversity index (iba-bf)
Investigations on the biological quality of soils through application of the soil biodiversity index (ibs-bf) The method of the “Biodiversity Friend®” specification (Caoduro et al., 2014) involves the analysis of soil samples in which the presence of the main groups of endogenous animals is detected for the determination of the Soil Biodiversity Index (IBSbf); Clams Annelids Arthropods Gastropods Prosobranchs Arachnids: • Spiders • Opilionid • Mites Crustaceans • Isopods Myriapods Insects Young creatures
The analysis of the total samples collected highlighted a constant and abundant presence of all the main taxa considered in the IBS-bf index. In particular, the taxa with a frequency equal to or greater than 67% were (adult forms): Pulmonated Prosobranchs, Enchytraeids, Spiders, Opilionids, Mites, Isopods, Lithobiomorph Chilopods, Chilopods Geophilomorphs, Diplopods, Springtails, Thysanurans, Blattids, Embiopterans, Dermapterans, Coleoptera and Formicidae. The presence in 67% - 100% of examined samples of the main types of predator morphotypes (Lithobiomorph Chilopods, Geophilomorphic chilopods, spiders), detrivores (Pulmonated, Enchytraeid, Diplopods, Isopods) as well as Coleoptera, Embiopteran and Dermaptera, indicates an excellent propensity for the structuring of permanent trophic chains in the edaphic facies. Investigations on the biological quality of soils through application of the soil biodiversity index (ibs-bf)
Attention and careful management were found, in terms of biodiversity conservation. As such were highly appreciated: - maintaining the herbaceous and shrub cover of the ditches - maintenance of spontaneous flowering scrub(essential for pollinators and fauna in general), - management of the wooded areas, the presence of tree and shrub belts. Good presence of a community of pollinators with high ecological and biodiversity value (lepidoptera, diptera, beetles and apoidea) . The points above are important for the conservation of fauna, both entomofauna and higher fauna, in particular amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals; their census, as well as a protection and promotion plan, perhaps linked to an evaluation scientific study of the species in their components and potential. Investigations on the biological quality of soils through application of the soil biodiversity index (ibs-bf)
Carbon foot-print total results Over 78% of our carbon footprint comes from bottling that includes packaging- km of transportation *Estimated CO2» for Vineyard ( unit used Kg/ grapes)- cellar ( Liters/Wine) – bottling ( bottle of 750ml) * 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Vineyard Cellar Bottling Carbon Foot Print
Carbon foot-print results bottling *Figures given by Equalitas 27/11/2023 Over 84% of our carbon footprint comes from packaging * 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 FUELS - STATIONARY COMBUSTION OF FUEL ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION IMPORTED ELECTRICITY PACKAGING (CLOSURES, PACKAGING ETC.) TRANSPORT OF OENOLOGICAL PRODUCTS BY PRODUCTION CYCLE INPUT TRANSPORT TRANSPORT OF MATERIALS TO BE DISPOSED Bootling Foot Print
Carbon foot-print results cellar 63% of our carbon footprint comes from fuels-combustion fuel * 0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 WATER CONSUMPTION ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION IMPORTED ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION OF OENOLOGICAL PRODUCTS BY PRODUCTION CYCLE INPUT TRANSPORT TRANSPORT OF MATERIALS TO BE DISPOSED FUELS - STATIONARY COMBUSTION OF FUEL Cellar Foot Print *Figures given by Equalitas 27/11/2023
Carbon foot-print results vineyard Over 63% of our carbon footprint comes from mobile fuels * 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 VEHICLE FUELS VEHICLE FUELS - MOBILE COMBUSTION OF FUEL FERTILIZERS EMISSIONS OF NITROUS OXIDE INTO AIR FROM NITROGEN FERTILIZATION PLANT DRUGS INPUT TRANSPORT TRANSPORT OF MATERIALS TO BE DISPOSED Vineyard foot print *Figures given by Equalitas 27/11/2023
Carbon foot-print for type of product SECTOR TYPE OF ACTIVITY INDEX OF PRODUCT IMPACT VINEYARD Total quintals of grapes harvested and suitable for processing 1 q of grapes 0,044325 CELLAR Total liters of bulk wine/must produced and suitable for bottling 1 l of bulk wine/must 0,00035434 BOTTLING Total liters of wine packaged and ready for sale 0,75 l of wine 0,00067062 *Figures given by Equalitas 27/11/2023
Carbon foot-print results total 66,4% of our carbon footprint is packaging
What do we do to be more Sustainable • Rubio and Rosso di Montalcino our capsules have been replaced with polylaminate • We are using only wood box for our Cru and our Riserva- for the rest we use carboard boxes ( for instance for our San Polo Brunello we use carboard boxes as we produce bigger quantity) • Our Brunellos bottle have been replaced with a lighter version
Certifications obtained in 2022
Recap of our sustainability • Equalitas is a certification that goes beyond the fact of being biological in the vineyard and in the cellar, it’s a way of acting responsible vs. employees, supplier, clients and social communities. It’s a 360° sustainable business that involves ethical principles also from our partners. • We have obtained very good results with the analysis of 2 key factors: • Biodiversity: we have segmented our vineyards in different plots, and we have found considerable level of animals in each plot. This analysis performed in June 2023, proofs that we have a good level of different type of faunas, together with a good quantity. • Carbon Foot- Print: results showed that we have items that are impacting above 50% and where we are doing precise activity to reduce them.
Next steps Beginning of November, we will be Audited for the 2023 Certification of Equalitas and BRCGS
If you want to know more about our Sustainable Program you can write us on: info@poggiosanpolo.com
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