The Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program (WASP) has just been distinguished by the Green Project Awards, an initiative of the Portuguese Environment Agency, GCI (Public Engagement consultant) and QUERCUS - National Association for Nature Conservation, which awards development projects sustainable development in Portugal.
 
For Francisco Mateus, president of the Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission (CVRA), responsible for WASP, “the honorable mention received reinforces the relevance of this initiative, which is truly revolutionary in terms of the sustainability of the Portuguese wine sector and which this year marks its 5th. Anniversary, already counting on the adhesion by the producers, who correspond to more than 40% of the vineyard area of ​​Alentejo. ”
 
Reducing costs, increasing the economic viability of producers, promoting best practices in terms of good water and energy management, in line with the premises of reduction, reuse and recycling, as well as encouraging the continuous training of employees to that these too are agents of change with their families and communities, are some of the reasons that justify the WASP distinction, in the category of Agriculture and Forest, of the Green Project Awards.
 
“WASP was created with the objective of bringing sustainable production as a whole, to wine production in the Alentejo region and Portugal, by working in a transversal and integrated way, economic activity, the work and social fabric, and the environmental environment . More than ecological benefits, we bring to wine production a concerted vision, which aims that the smallest and largest producers can, for many years, continue to produce wines of excellent quality without jeopardizing natural resources, their economic viability and also influencing the change in habits of each of the employees and their families ”, explains João Barroso, WASP coordinator.
 
With this distinction, the WASP has already won seven awards, of which the European Award for Business Promotion stands out, an initiative of the European Commission and coordinated, in Portugal, by IAPMEI, the receipt of the title of European Ambassador for Rural Innovation by the project LIAISON, a European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability, also launched by the European Commission, or the “Initiative of the Year 2019”, by the Grandes Escolhas Awards, organized by the magazine with the same name.
 
The Green Project Awards evaluate the impact in terms of environmental, economic and social sustainability, the impact on the behavior of citizens, the application of innovative and eco-efficient practices, the cost-benefit ratio and the reproducibility of each project submitted to evaluation. This was the 11th edition of the awards that have the support of entities such as Compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union.