Materiality is an accounting concept relating to the importance of an amount, transaction or discrepancy. Information can be considered material, according to international accounting standards, if its omission or misstatement could influence the economic decision of users’investors, regulators and suppliers. Thus, materiality provides a threshold or cut-off point to guide companies in making decisions about […]

In my last blog post, I discussed the first three of seven Pillars of Sustainability outlined by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. The wine industry’s’dynamic and proven methods for achieving the triple bottom line of social responsibility, economic viability and environmental stewardship are models for other regions. In order to fully understand how SWNZ undertakes this […]

Martinborough, NZ Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand demonstrates the country’s outstanding commitment to securing a socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound future. I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to travel to New Zealand this past month, visiting each of the country’s wine regions, meeting wine producers and learning more about their comprehensive sustainability efforts and […]

Sustainability is in the heritage, history and tradition of life in New Zealand. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to travel to all of the major wine growing regions of New Zealand and visit with many sustainable producers. The original settlers of New Zealand, the Maori, learned that in order to thrive on a […]

Many corporate CEOs and investors have accepted the premise that sustainability issues are material to the long-term success of any business. The C-Suites of public companies increasingly recognize that effective management of social and environmental risks can improve business performance. Issues associated with sustainability include corporate reporting, climate change, resource usage, ethical sourcing, human rights, […]

For years I have worked in the realm of sustainable agriculture, primarily on coffee, tea and cocoa production and marketing. Awareness of our damaging environmental practices is growing in these sectors and sustainable sourcing is becoming a point of differentiation in the marketplace. Our customers are increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and […]

World Water Day is held each year on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Water security, whether it is the challenge of too little water over long periods of time, or too much water all at once, is one […]

Women entrepreneurs are increasingly recognized across the world for the success of their businesses and for their important contributions to their countries economic well-being. A growing body of research indicates that women’s economic empowerment is positively correlated with improved family welfare and nutrition, higher education levels for girls, and improved economic growth for the society […]

While America’s thirst for wines and premium wines  continues to grow, the prime areas in Napa and Sonoma County are basically planted to capacity. Meanwhile, water rights in other areas of California are a huge issue. Water may be the greatest limitation to the growth of the industry in the nation’s #1 wine producing state. […]

In recent years, climate change, water shortages and international discussions about sustainable and environmentally friendly actions have forced us to rethink our way of working within the wine industry. There’s organic wine, biodynamic wine, and sustainable wine but what’s the difference between all of these seemingly similar terms? ORGANIC Certified organic food is grown or […]