Sustainability is a huge topic for industry, trade and culture worldwide. Consumers rightly demand that their purchases come from companies who take care of their environment, their suppliers and their staff - and 77% of UK wine drinkers are now seeking to live more eco-friendly lifestyles (Source: CGA Wine Trends To Watch 2022).
At Hallgarten we take this subject very seriously. We strive for accountability in terms of sustainability, E,D&I and the environment – within our business, with our producers and with our third-party agents. It is part of the Hallgarten ‘DNA’.
We believe sustainability is about making a positive impact in everything we do, from how we act as an organisation to the way in which we deliver wines and services to our customers. This is demonstrated by our ISO 14001 accreditation for environmentally managed systems, held since 2018, and our goal for ISO 9001 (Management Standards) accreditation, as well as Corporate Carbon Neutral status by 2024 and Product Carbon Neutral status by 2026.
Some of our producers are at the forefront of developing industry-leading sustainable practices. Many of them have already achieved sustainable certification in their own country, though each country’s criteria for certification is different. Nothing about sustainability is clear and straightforward – the word ‘sustainable’ has a multitude of meanings, and there is no single worldwide accreditation.
So, after gathering as much information as possible, we have produced our own criteria in order to ensure a consistent approach when defining a producer’s sustainable credentials.
This is the Hallgarten Eco Standard, developed to cover all aspects of sustainability – in the vineyard, in the winery and in the overall management of the company. Our goals are to clearly determine what sustainability means; to encourage sustainable practices from our suppliers; to ensure we have – and hold ourselves to – a credible sustainable policy; and to provide a coherent communication tool, ensuring our customers understand the sustainable practices of our suppliers.
The Hallgarten Eco Standard is an ongoing review of Suppliers’ sustainable practices and will be regularly updated.
