LATEST NEWS - Sustainable Business International

Sustainable Business International and CEO, Sandra Taylor, are often featured in the news and publications on ESG, sustainability, social responsibility and wine, and Taylor has authored articles on these topics, as described below:

Book released 2017: Author, The Business of Sustainable Wine

Sandra Taylor's International Impact on Corporate Social Responsibility

women of influence article image of Sandra Taylor

As Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility at Starbucks, Sandra , felt it was important for her to see and understand what the needs of the coffee regions were firsthand, in order to help reach what she deemed the triple bottom line—environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

When asked why CSR and sustainability are so significant to her, both personally and professionally, Sandra sums it up perfectly: “It’s important that corporate executives know how much CSR can benefit their business. But it’s just as important for us to have a moral compass to guide our leadership and to know how much CSR can benefit the people in our communities who need help the most. CSR is changing the way we do business. But I believe it can also be a way to transform the world.”

Read the Full Article Here

The Business of Sustainability, Chatham University

A business can do well by doing good when it has a sustainability plan. Sandra Taylor, a Professor of Socially Responsible Business at the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment at Chatham University, explains what it means to be and become sustainable, and the impact of sustainability on employees.

Sheila Hyland hosts. Originally Posted Here

Four Top Podcast

A discussion on sustainable wine growing and climate change with @kcoleuncorked.

Why does Martin want to “make lighter bottles sexy”? Here are some hints: It has to do with protecting the planet, safeguarding our future, and rethinking the wine business. Get ready to throw your preconceptions and misconceptions onto the compost pile and join us in Ep. 98 for an eye-opening conversation about sustainable winegrowing.

Here to help us find a sustainable future are Anna Brittain, a sustainability advocate and Executive Director of Napa Green; and Sandra Taylor, founder and President of Sustainable Business International, Falk Professor of Socially Responsible Business at Chatham University, and founder of Fine Wine Divas.

Listen to the Full Episode Here

Wine Enthusiast's Social Visionary of the Year Nominee

This year marks the 22nd anniversary of Wine Enthusiast’s Annual Wine Star Awards, honoring the individuals and companies that make outstanding contributions to the wine and alcohol beverage world.

Read the Full Article Here

Driven by Consumers, Climate Change, Sustainability Grows in the Global Wine Industry

Climate change is a major motivator for a sustainable wine industry as global warming has impacted growers around the world. Driven by consumers, climate change, sustainability grows in the global wine industry.

Read the Full Article Here

Seven Steps to Implementing Board Oversight of Sustainability

Many corporate CEOs and investors have accepted the premise that sustainability issues are material to the long-term success of any business. Effective management of social and environmental risks can improve business performance and produce tangible results. These can include more reliable availability of essential natural resources, significant efficiency gains, reduced transaction costs and access to new capital. The concept of sustainable business seeks to combine environmental and social improvements with financial success.

Read the Full Article Here

The Sustainability Story, Podcast with Matt Orsagh

The Sustainability Story presented by CFA Institute is an audio interview series of conversations with thought leaders in the world of ESG integration and sustainability. The topics include anything and everything about where finance intersects with environment, governance, sustainability, social, climate change, biodiversity, human capital management, sustainable investing, impact investing, regulations, standards, and more. Host Matt Orsagh, CFA, CIPM is a senior director of capital markets policy at CFA Institute. His paper, Climate Change Analysis in the Investment Process was named “Best ESG Paper” by Savvy Investor in 2021. In each episode he asks his guests to tell the story of how we got here and where we are going in the journey to financial sustainability.

Read the Full Article Here

Do Sustainably Made Wines Taste Better?

While there are several studies on wine perception, not a lot is known about sensory characteristics of wines deriving from sustainably-made vs conventional wines. The intrinsic sensory aspects of wine-notably taste and aroma – aren’t the only components in the decision making of many contemporary consumers. In addition to a product that is enjoyable in all sensory aspects, these consumers expect wines to be healthful and produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. Today’s wine consumers are increasingly concerned by the effects of conventional agricultural production practices on both human and environmental health and seek assurance that the industry is effectively protecting the environment and treating workers fairly, all while delivering quality wines.

Read the Full Article Here

Natural is Good; Natural and Socially Just is Better

Environmental responsibility has been a growing focal point in the wine industry over the last few decades and is certainly here to stay. Yet a focus on social responsibility, racial injustice, and/or gender and racial inequities in the wine industry is not so apparent. Growers and winemakers see commitments to climate action as a critical strategic priority. But many are slow to recognize social justice as a critical risk factor. The wine industry is working to fulfill expectations of more environmental compliance, yet despite the potential, there is still much to be done with respect to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Read the Full Article Here

Staying the Course on Climate Adaptation

In a survey conducted by the Harris Poll in December 2019, American adults said climate change was the number one issue facing society. At the time, business and government leaders were making high profile and meaningful commitments to lower greenhouse gases.? The news cycle included regular coverage of climate change and its devastating impacts. Since then,?our global collective consciousness has?shifted?abruptly as we face the devastating health and economic costs of COVID-19 and?the pernicious consequences of deeply-rooted racial injustice. ?Yet climate change continues unabated and no one knows this more than the wine industry. All winegrowers faces the immediate consequences of climate change. They realize that their continued success depends on rethinking their business models in the face of climate-related events that represent a clear and present danger, not a future risk. What steps must the wine industry take to adapt?

Read the Full Article Here

Sustainability in Wine Production

Consumers, especially millennials, are increasingly concerned about where their food and beverages come from, how they are made, and whether they’re produced in a responsible way. Wine is no exception. As the demand for organic food continues to increase, restaurants and retailers are also seeing demand for wine made through sustainable practices. My involvement with sustainable agriculture began when I worked in the coffee industry, during a period of tremendous growth in high-quality coffee shops and retail categories around the world. Being a wine enthusiast and longtime student of wine, I understood the many similarities between coffee and wine cultivation and tasting, so I subsequently began research into the social and environmental practices in winemaking.

Read the Full Article Here

Orange Wine: The Old Becomes New Again

Far far from being a new fad, “Orange” or skin-contact wine results from the oldest recorded winemaking process in the world, dating back some 8,000 years. Orange wines originated in Georgia, the mountainous Eastern European country that’s been making wine for millennia. Georgians traditionally made skin-contact wine from white grapes in large, egg-shaped terracotta pots called qvevri that were buried underground up to the neck of the pot. They called it ‘amber wine,’ since the color variations can be numerous. Orange wine is a more recent designation-coined by a UK importer-for this ancient winemaking process.

Read the Full Article Here

Tasting Climate Change: Adaptation in a Vessel

A few weeks ago I attended the second edition of Tasting Climate Change, a one-day international conference in Montreal. Convened every two years by Canadian sommelier and author Michelle Bouffard, the conference brought together leading speakers who are very knowledgeable about today’s climate realities as well as the effects on vineyards. The final panel of the day shifted to what sustainability mean for wine consumers and how they can adapt. One way is for retailers to create and launch a recycling program for wine bottles. Another is for consumers to seek out wine in kegs. Increasingly, wine on tap is gaining traction as a delivery method for serving wine by the glass in restaurants and wine bars. There are numerous environmental benefits.

Read the Full Article Here

The Wines of Château Maris: Biodynamic and Sustainable Winery in the Languedoc

It is always a pleasurable and educational experience for me to hear biodynamic wine makers share their passion for their work and their commitment to bio-diversity and respect for true terroir. This was certainly the case when I recently met Robert Eden of Château Maris at a wine dinner in Washington, DC. Sustainability is his passion, and it goes beyond the organic and biodynamic farming he practices on his estate. In the Languedoc-Roussillon region and located in La Livinière, the first Cru Village of the Languedoc, the wines of Château Maris have become among the most respected and highly sought-after of the entire Languedoc-Roussillon.

Read the Full Article Here

Sustainability in the Australian Grape and Wine Sector

The Australian wine industry has been building its capacity in the sustainability space for many years, with the launch of numerous regional programs, like the McLaren Vale Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (MVSWGA), and the national sustainability program, ‘Entwine Australia,’ which allowed vineyards and wineries to choose among several certifications — ISO 14001 or one from Freshcare , the certification program for the Australian fresh produce industry – which ever best suited their business needs. In 2018, the industry decided to consolidate the existing programs into a single, united national program that is owned and led nationally, integrating the best parts of all of them into this national program.

Read Full Article Here

The Changing Climate for Wine

In 2013 a group of scientists with Conservation International released key findings that climate change will dramatically impact many of the most famous wine-producing regions in the world today. The study warned that California could experience a 70 percent reduction in wine production by 2050, as the area suitable for grape cultivation shrinks to narrow strips along the coast and up at high elevations. By 2050 high-value areas which are currently major sites for producing premium grape varieties in California–especially Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon–may no longer be suitable.

Read the Full Article Here

Wait! Isn't ALL Wine Natural?

There’s no official or legal definition of natural wine; neither has any legislation been passed to date by any regional, national, or international regulatory body or authority, and there are no organizations that can certify that a wine is natural. However, there are many unofficial definitions or codes of practice published by the different associations of natural wine producers in France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. What we call natural wines are wines made with the least possible use of chemicals, additives, and overly technological procedures. Nothing is added or subtracted in the cellar–no additives, no chemicals, no sulfur, no oak character from barrels, no filtering, no cultured yeasts. The grapes are normally grown organically or biodynamically and are picked by hand and fermented with natural yeast.

Read the Full Article Here

This Holiday Season, Drink Responsibly

For me the holidays are prefect opportunities to drink the really good bottles I’ve been aging for special occasions. I also seek out extraordinary wines that fulfill my commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. So, for this festive time of entertaining and gift giving, drink well and shop for wines that are responsibly made. These are my wine suggestions for the end of year celebrations — all sustainably produced, certified biodynamic or organic, and most have social commitments to their workers and communities. These wines pair well with holiday recipes and also make great gifts for hostesses, hosts and wine enthusiasts.

Read the Full Article Here

Organic Winegrowing: What Does It Mean to be Organic?

Organic food and beverage sales are setting records among grocery shoppers worldwide. Organic wine statistics are equally impressive. And around the globe, organically grown wine is one of the fastest growing categories. Organic wine production grew by 295% in Europe and 280% in the world between 2004 and 2015, according to a recent study by Wine Monitor Nomisma. Organic wine grapes account for an estimated 5% of total vineyard acreage worldwide. European organic viticulture (293,000 hectares) accounts for 88% of total global organic vineyard area. In France 9% of all vineyards (or 146,000 acres) are organic. Italy (83,000 hectares) has the highest organic vineyard-area ratio — 11.9% of its cultivated vines are organic — followed by Austria, with 11.7%, and Spain, with 10.2%.

Read the Full Article Here

University of Pinot

Every summer I look forward to spending the last weekend of July in McMinnville, Oregon for the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC), a wonderful wine festival where guests enjoy three days of tasting beautiful Pinot Noir from world-renowned winemakers, including Grand Cru Burgundy and Champagne, and sharing delicious meals from Pacific northwest chefs. IPNC is also a venue for celebrating leading lights in the industry and learning about regions and new trends in wine production. This year I had the privilege to organize and moderate a seminar for IPNC’s University of Pinot sustainability, with presentations by producers from several regions. University of Pinot offers IPNC guests a wide variety of informative seminars each afternoon on such topics as sensory evaluations, regional updates from New Zealand, California, and Austria.

Read the Full Article Here

So You Don't Like White Wines?

So often, when dining out with friends who ask me to choose the wine for our meal, someone inevitably declares, ‘I really don’t like white wine!’ I am always astonished because this means they have been missing out on some truly wonderful wines from many regions of the world. Likewise at wine tastings I host for women who seek to be more knowledgeable about wines, they too can be overheard saying they don’t really care for the white wines, that they are just too thin and acidic for their liking. Since we’re now in the time of year when even the most ardent red wine drinker chooses a chilled refreshing white wine while dining al fresco, this is my opportunity to suggest interesting whites that red lovers continue drinking even into fall and winter.

Read the Full Article Here

Biodynamic Basics

Biodynamic wine producers believe that life begins in the soil and that a healthy balance in the vineyard eco-system and in their wines is dependent on first achieving healthy balance in the soil. Many turn to biodynamic viticulture in order to restore balance to over-used soil that had been abused by years of poor agricultural practices. The biodynamic approach to grape growing has become one of the more controversial issues within the wine industry. The skeptics, who are many, see it as an incredible waste of time and money. For some, it is pure quackery, an affront to science and modern thinking. For its adherents, however, biodynamic viticulture is a further advance along a similar line as organic viticulture.

Read the Full Article Here

© 2022 · Sustainable Business International, LLC