Good practice:

Wines of Alentejo Sustainability programme - WASP

WASP aims to support economic agents in improving the environmental, social and economic performance of the region's winegrowing activity and to promote the recognition of the sustainability performance of the region's wines and to articulate the entire wine chain in the Alentejo within a philosophy of social, environmental and economic well-being at a local and regional level, with emphasis on the incorporation of eco-efficiency principles with the aim of promoting a more efficient use of resources, encouraging the reduction and reuse of coproducts by reducing internal operating costs. WASP is voluntary and in order to begin implementation, it is compulsory to carry out a self-assessment. This was developed to be a standardised method to be completed with a performance levels assessment organised into different chapters applied to viticulture, cellar and viticulture&cellar and with primary and secondary Intervention chapters with different criteria. After completion of the self-assessment, an overall ranking called the ‘General Sustainability Category’ is established. The 11 Primary Intervention Chapters integrate 108 criteria. In a second phase the evaluation method adapted 7 more Chapters and 63 criteria.
The criteria are included in chapters such as grape production, water, waste and energy management, packaging, etc.
WASP is a certifiable programme and a member can obtain a recognition in sustainability for the productive process by the use of the WASP stamp.

This project was financially supported by the European Union through the Alentejo Regional Operational Programme. Staff resources and training is a key aspect to deliver this project.

This strategy showed almost immediate results, with the Programme counting 93 members at the end of 2015, a number that has been increasing every year reaching, nowadays, 460 members. At the moment 3 members are certified.
The programme was also been award with several awards during the last years. On December 2019, it was awarded with the title of 2019 European Ambassador for Rural Innovation for the LIAISON project.

The major challenges encountered were related to the necessity fo funding, the need to have the support and adhesion of public and private institutions and the need to performed a Strong communication campaign.

This good practice may be applicable in every country/region that want to support economic agents in improving the environmental, social and economic performance of a region's winegrowing activity and to promote the recognition of the sustainability performance of the regions.
The certification methodology can be applied to other regions since the chapters and criteria can be easily adapted.
Also, this programme gives its certified members the benefit from communications actions dedicated to them as examples of "working together" for innovation and for sustainability through the use of the programme stamp.
It is also an exercise that shows the commitment to the enormous sector challenges that should be assumed by every public and private administration and the response to the European challenges and strategies in what regards sustainability and environment.