Donnafugata: big new goals reached in sustainability and best practices

From GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) to ISO 22000 safe food certification: the environmental sustainability road continues

“Producing the highest quality with the least environmental impact” is one of the many definitions of environmental sustainability that Donnafugata has been putting into practice for more than ten years.

The new goals and challenges launched in 2011 have been met, enabling the Sicilian winery to broaden its best practices on behalf of the environment and transparency towards consumers.

In 2011 Donnafugata extended its Environmental Quality Management System also to vineyard tending, adapting GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) for the correct utilization of plant health-protection products, water resources, grape harvesting methods in order to minimize the impact of its work and protect the production environments.

This also permitted the winery to obtain, in March 2012, ISO 22000 Food Safety certification, making it possible to assess and demonstrate production conformity to food and produce standards and ensure effective oversight of various risk factors. A standard – required abroad and in a number of modern distribution channels – that guarantees the final consumer the safety of the product “from vineyard to table”.

Both GAP and ISO 22000 enrich the winery’s Integrated Environmental Management System, permitting its extension throughout the production chain.

As José Rallo explains: “this is a path undertaken in 2000 with ISO 9001, which enabled us to have all-round quality. From the technical and organoleptic quality of the wine to environmental protection and consumer health, reducing or offsetting environmental impact with good practices. From using fewer valuable resources (electricity, water, paper…) to producing clean energy (photovoltaic systems) to protecting the landscape and biodiversity and even reforesting. A modus operandi”, continues Donnafugata’s co-owner, “directed at sustainability, which shows our respect for and love of the territory”.

Public Relations:

Baldo M. Palermo [email protected] tel. 0039 0923 7242267

Laura Ellwanger [email protected] te. 0039 0923 724258