PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Wine production is the most important agri-food sector activity in the Rioja region, bringing both enormous prestige as well as high strategic economic value. Currently there are more than 300 medium-sized wine companies producing wine from more than 500 million kilos of grapes within the Rioja Appelation Region. Haro is the town in which the greatest concentration of wine producers is found and also the site of the emblematic “Station Quarter”, a traditional area in which most of the oldest and most prestigious wine cellars of the region are located. Not surprisingly, the concentration of so many wine producers in such a small area has given rise to significant environmental problems which include the dumping of wine products (100.000 tons of pomace, lees and tartrates) and over 1.200.000 m3 of waste water. Today, adapting to environmental demands is one of the main challenges for this quality wine industry, marked by tradition and with a strong family-business mentality . These very characteristics however, together with a lack of awareness of the need for proper environmental management and the seasonal nature of the work, have proved strong inhibiting factors to developing cleaner and more environmentally-friendly practices. For these reasons, the Rioja Economic Development Agency (ADER) together with the Rioja Water Board and the Regional Government opted to carry out a high-profile demonstration project which would promote joint integrated action in the sector to reduce the environmental impact with an emphasis on cost savings through economies of scale.
OBJECTIVES
The project´s main aim was to develop a model of environmental prevention and correction in the entire wine production process, based on the joint cooperation between producer and orientated towards economic cost-savings. To achieve this, the project´s promoters came to an agreement with ten Bodegas in the Train Station district of Haro and the Distillery of Cenicero to develop a joint demonstration project focusing on 5 key areas: 1)Measures to reduce the use of environmentally harmful substances in vine cultivation. 2)Reduction of contaminating substance and water effluents during the production, fermentation and ageing process 3)The development of a pilot demonstration in waste water treatment making the most of economies of scale 4)Monitoring grape by-products for their valorization and reuse and finally 5) the integration of wine production into sustainable urban and rural management. These specific objectives were to be carried out by firstly a diagnostic phase to establish the extent of the environmental problems in the wine industry ( assessing the current state of play in effluents and contaminants production, water consumption and the use of chemical fertilizers and by-products) this would be followed by a viability study on alternatives for waste water treatment for the sector and the testing out of new methods of minimization of contaminant factors in the bodega and in the field. It was initially envisaged that a the dissemination of key results would form the last stage of the project.
RESULTS
The project finally achieved widespread participation from the wine industry, despite a reluctant start, and became champion of the initiative taking on board the highly favorable cost-benefit analysis of introducing environmental protection measures within the industry. A key concrete outcome was the agreement reached by the wine companies to fund the biggest multi-winery effluent treatment plant in Europe, in the Station District of Haro. Moreover,the high quality of the dissemination and technical material produced made the project eminently transferable within the wine sector, both at National and EU level. The project was aware from the start, that the success of the introduction of new environmental prevention and correction measures depended on heightening the awareness and sensitivity of the sector to the long-term implications. This meant first indicating the extent of the problem, then demonstrating how these were costing the industry money as well as causing a negative environmental impact. The project started work on the least conflictive area consisting of analyzing and controlling water consumption within the different bodegas which were reaching an astonishing 3 to 1 ratio for every liter of wine produced. Once they had identified the operations which used most water, measures were taken to reduce consumption. Similar processes were then carried out to identify and typify effluent discharge and the pollutant load of different operations carried out in the Bodega. Information on discharge helped to define the parameters of the new wastewater treatment plant, whilst that on pollutant load led to the presentation of preventive measures with a view to minimizing the load. Some of the suggested measures included: scrubbing and collecting solids before washing with water, avoiding spillage of mash, must or wine, correct storage of residues and better collection and reuse of by products. The area which most directly affected the grape growing process was the reduction of diffuse pollution levels, including using pilot experiences from Bodegas that were replacing chemical fertilizers with organic one and collecting information on integrated crop growing systems and new biological techniques. An irrigation experiment using green vine filter effluent from the wineries posed problems because of the necessary infrastructure to set up a pilot plant. The project therefore collaborated with a new partner Viña Ijalba who was in the process of implementing such a pilot initiative. The work on valorizing by-products showed that the main residues: pommace, lees and tartrates, although highly valued, needed better handling and storage. Additionally, it was demonstrated that other residues like stalks, first wash water and sludge from the water treatment plant could be reused in the cultivation of vines, thus closing the cycle. The final task consisted of integrating the industry better into the natural environment of Haro, involving an integrated dissemination and awareness-raising strategy aimed at the local population. The principal products : pamphlets, posters, a web site and an environmental educational vide, went a long way toward raising the profile of the initiative in the area. This dissemination task became an increasingly important consideration for the sector during the course of the project as they realized the importance of the dissemination task in convincing the sector and demonstrating to the public their degree of commitment to reducing environmental impact. The project was presented in numerous conferences, fairs and events at national and international level and was selected by the Commission to appear in the Green Week exhibition in Brussels in 2000.
