The Fair and Green e.V. association was founded in November 2013 with the aim of becoming a certified seal for sustainable viticulture. The practical relevance is demonstrated by the fact that renowned winegrowers and wineries were already involved when the association was founded: Clemens Busch (Weingut Busch Clemens), Reinhard Löwenstein (Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein), Nik Weis (Weingüter Nik Weis - St. Urbans-Hof) and Philipp Kuhn (Weingut Kuhn Philipp). The further development of the sustainability standard is supported by an advisory board from Geisenheim University (Rheingau).
Sustainability goals
The winegrowers are helped to make sustainability goals objectively measurable and verifiable and to achieve them in an integrated manner. Consumers can recognise sustainable wines by the seal on the bottle and can choose sustainable products. Fair'n Green is much more detailed than other standards and also includes an analysis of the entire value chain with procurement, viticulture, cellar management and sales. The system is compatible with environmental management, for example according to EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) and ISO 14001:
- Environmental protection and nature-orientated viticulture
- Promotion of biodiversity (variety of species)
- Protection of natural resources
- Fair wages and social commitment
- Social responsibility
- Preservation and promotion of the cultural landscape
Fair'n Green standard
The Fair'n Green standard stipulates that every winery must establish processes to continuously improve its entire business management, work in the vineyard, cellar management and marketing as part of a holistic sustainability approach. The wineries receive ongoing advice and an individualised development plan is drawn up. In addition, further analyses (e.g. life cycle assessment, CO2 footprint) are carried out. Companies must achieve 50% of the points to be awarded the seal and then improve by a binding 3% each year. Independent institutes ensure the correctness of the certification according to scientific standards. Consultancy and certification are separated in independent organisations. The criteria are in line with those of organic plant protection and organic viticulture. Similar certifications are carried out by DINE (Germany) and Nachhaltig Austria (Austria).
Source: FAIR and GREEN e.V.
