1. Become a BWI MEMBER (for individual farms and estates)
2. Become a BWI CHAMPION (for individual farms and estates)
3. Become a BWI CO-OPERATIVE CELLAR MEMBER

What is the difference between a MEMBER AND CHAMPION

BWI Membership provides an entry-level into formal involvement with the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative. Producer members must have at least 2 ha of natural or restored natural area on the farm that can be conserved. Members must registered with Integrated Production of Wine Scheme (IPW) and will therefore be attending to their environmental responsibilities. Members might not have necessarily implemented all necessary management actions for retaining biodiversity (e.g. alien clearing, erosion control, rehabilitation of wetlands etc), but do have time-based plans and schedules in place to guide their future actions to ensure the ongoing implementation of the biodiversity guidelines and a process of continual improvement. BWI members are committed to keeping their demarcated natural area/s conserved, and should not develop new vineyards in theses areas. BWI must be informed of any intentions to develop these areas and registered as an Interested and Affected Party, and the landowner must obtain all the necessary national and provincial permissions required for further development in this regard.

BWI Champions are exemplary producers who have earned additional recognition and status for their excellent track record of environmental responsibility. They can be regarded as leaders in the industry with regards to the conservation of biodiversity. These flagship farms have a comprehensive conservation management plan in place with dedicated staff members implementing these plans including extensive alien clearing, fire management and voluntary conservation agreements committing their natural areas to long term conservation. Champions have all necessary permits and authorizations in place, because they have successfully passed an external IPW audit.

The Biodiversity & Wine Initiative would like to see as many producers as possible become members, who have natural areas still left on the property. However, the champion category will remain an exclusive status, in order to distinguish the significance of a champion. BWI will therefore facilitate champions receiving greater recognition and media exposure than members, while still honouring and rewarding good practice and philosophy of continual improvement in the member category. Producers are also encouraged to progress towards achieving champion status after initially becoming members. Producers can however become champions immediately, without first having to pass through the member category.

Benefits of becoming a member or champion

The advantage to the producer of going through the process of qualifying, by improving certain areas of farm management and getting the necessary permits in place, is the following:

• You can proudly market your wines or farming operation as being associated with the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, without running the risk of being accused of "greenwashing".
• By identifying what is unique and special in terms of the biodiversity found on the farm, you will have created a "biodiversity story" to tell visitors, buyers and clients, and in this way enhance your marketing opportunities.
• After fulfilling all the IPW requirements, with your self-assessment score having been verified by an independent audit, you can be assured you comply with all major national environmental legislation.
• You will have assured media exposure and free advertisement by means of featuring your story on the BWI website, in the Wynboer magazine, and possibilities of coverage by many other magazines and newspapers including Wine Tourism News & the Veld & Flora magazine as well as National and Provincial news channels.
• WOSA are looking for more champion and member stories to use as tangible examples of farms where biodiversity is being actively conserved as part of promoting the new Brand South African image.