Alberto Tasca , president of the SOStain Sicily Foundation, at the beginning, spoke of "ethical choice and mandatory passage", to which companies are called, if they want to protect the ecosystem, leaving it unchanged for future generations.
"The peculiarities of our disciplinary - affirms Alberto Tasca - are the tailoring linked to the Sicilian territory and the specificity of the measures we apply. In practice, the measurement system of agricultural best practices must resume the national and international one, while the threshold values that companies must respect and research aimed at improving sustainability performance is based on the characteristics of the territory.We are also working on dividing the areas into clusters and extra-vineyard landscapes.
Furthermore - continues Tasca - the governance system set up by SOStain is transparent and non-speculative, because the operational and scientific committee are at the service of the companies and the certification body, totally independent, excludes any type of conflict of interest ".
Sustainability as a holistic project is not limited only to the territory, agricultural practices and the environment but also embraces social and economic sustainability and is strongly based on the exchange and comparison between companies.
"This is a radical change of mentality for companies, yet another step forward made thanks to a cultural change in the Sicilian wine sector, which leads to a new awareness and vision but also concretely benefits, to a more fast and generates long-term savings "- concludes Alberto Tasca.
Sicily, an island with a natural sustainable vocation
Also born thanks to the will of Assovini Sicilia and the Consorzio Vini Sicilia DOC, the SOStain Foundation is the result of years of work carried out in synergy with the scientific and academic community of the Universities of Palermo, Milan and Piacenza.
To date, fourteen Sicilian wineries have joined, five have obtained certification and fifty are in the analysis phase.
"The sustainable vocation of Sicily is a natural factor, thanks to its favorable climatic conditions and the variety of the soil and biodiversity, with over seventy varieties of native vines" - says Antonio Rallo - president of the Consorzio Vini Sicilia DOC. "
"Sicily - continues Rallo - with its thirty thousand hectares, is the largest organic vineyard in Italy, the first region for organic vineyards in the hills, the second for vineyards in the mountains. conditions, if not better, at least the same as those who preceded us ".
For Laurent de la Gatinais , president of Assovini Sicilia, "the road to sustainability has been traced. In many cases, it is a matter of validating and consolidating practices already in place. From unexpressed potential, sustainability can also become a commercial value, if it is communicated with authority by companies, gaining credibility among consumers. It is a strong message to be able to say that Sicily is sustainable "- concludes de la Gatinais.
From vision to certification, guidelines and steps for companies
Sustainability is not a random but a scientific concept. For this reason, the role of the Scientific Committee of SOStain, which defined the content of the certification regulations, is important.
Nicola Francesca , researcher at the University of Palermo and member of the SOStain Scientific Committee, listed the ten requirements for obtaining the certification: sustainable management of the vineyard, prohibition of chemical weeding, protection of biodiversity, use of eco-friendly materials in the vineyard, materials local raw materials, calculation of VIVA indicators, energy-efficient technologies, reduction in the weight of bottles, transparency in communication, absence of residues in wines.
"The company that embraces this vision must be guided - comments Francesca. It is not a complicated process, on average it ends in a month. Many companies already adopt these practices but they need to be organized in an organic way".
To support companies in the pre and post certification phase, there is the Panagri Professional Network, the operational arm of SOStain.
"The Sostain certification tool includes various certifications as a whole: VIVA, SOStain, Carbon Footprint and Water Footprint" - says Vincenzo Genna of Panagri.
"SOStain, allows you to limit waste, reduce impacts with lower costs".
Green is better , the testimonials of sustainable companies
Arianna Occhipinti, the natural woman of Sicilian viticulture, recalls the role of custodians of the land of every farmer and bears her testimony as a vigneron who has chosen sustainability as a company philosophy.
"Without the beauty and variety that sustainable agriculture entails, the landscape would be different - says Arianna Occhipinti. The choice in support of sustainability strengthens the bond with the company and leads to changes that are not only aesthetic but also affect productivity and quality. of wine "is echoed by Benedetto Alessandro of Cantina Alessandro di Camporeale :" the sustainable choice for a medium-small company involves many advantages and opportunities, such as access to the expertise and guidance of the technical-scientific committee, the possibility of taking advantage of European funds that will soon make sustainability a sine qua non .
With SOStain, Sicily in line with the European Green Deal and the UN 2030 Agenda
"The SOStain Foundation lays the foundations for solid sustainability in Sicilian viticulture" - says Dario Cartebellotta , general manager of the Regional Agriculture Department.
The direction traced by the community strategy in line with the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork is unequivocal .
"The first presupposes a restoration of agroecology and respect for the vocation of the environments, while the Farm to Fork implies a connection between producers and consumers, in terms of safety, transparency, quality" - continues Cartabellotta.
Compliance with the parameters of sustainability is not only a reward for farmers but projects Sicily towards the European Green Deal and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
"Over the last thirty years, the Sicily brand has gone from a negative perception to being nominated as the best wine region in the world in 2019. Today, the Sicilian challenge goes in the direction of a Green Sicily.
To achieve this goal, we need to be united and share this path "- concludes Alberto Tasca.
