Table-grape producers take very seriously the amount of carbon dioxide released into the earth's atmosphere as a result of their farm-to-plate production activities – their carbon footprint.
This is evident in the Confronting Climate Change (CCC) initiative's latest industry-specific Benchmark Report 2022.
More than 18 800 ha of SA's table-grape vineyards are included in the initiative's database. This represents 53% of the total area under table-grape production in the country.
Since 2011, the initiative has been helping producers monitor their emissions with its online, industry-wide carbon calculator. This calculator (the CCC tool) was developed by representatives from the fruit and wine industry, in collaboration with Blue North Sustainability (a consulting practice).
The tool enables growers to calculate their emissions, identify emission "hotspots" in their operations, and decide where to focus emission reduction efforts.
"The better you understand your carbon footprint, the more effectively you can manage your operations to become more resource efficient," says Carina Wessels, CCC project manager.
Working out your carbon footprint starts with knowing the inputs – how much of each emission source was consumed. "This kind of information enables producers to put in place best-practice management systems to reduce their emissions in a way that makes business sense," she says.
Users who calculate their carbon footprint using the CCC tool have the option to submit their data to the initiative's technical team for checking and grading. To ensure the quality and accuracy of the average or "benchmark" results, calculated and released annually by the CCC, only checked and graded datasets are included in the benchmark calculation.
Participating farmers are given access to the results of other farms in their region that grow the same commodity. However, the results remain anonymous.
Understanding the hotspots
The CCC Benchmark Report 2022 uses overall season data from 2011 to 2021 to provide an industry-specific benchmark value in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kilogram of fruit produced.
For any quantity and type of greenhouse gas, CO2e signifies the amount of carbon dioxide that would have the equivalent impact in terms of global warming.
The report data shows clear hotspots that contribute to emissions on farms, and in packhouses and cold stores.
On participating farms, the CO2e benchmark is 0.51 kg CO2e per kilogram of fruit.
The biggest contributor to overall on-farm carbon emissions is electricity usage, which accounts for 64% of CO2e per kilogram of fruit produced, followed by the use of diesel (17%) and nitrogen fertiliser (14%).
Greenhouse gas emissions on table-grape farms are significant, due to the carbon-intensive nature of the fossil-fuel electricity being used during production and for other farming practices.
Electricity used for the pumping of water is the largest source of farm-level carbon emissions. The production of synthetic fertilisers is also energy- and carbon-intensive, Wessels points out.
"The inefficient or over-application of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers results in high volumes of nitrous oxide emissions on farms."
In packhouses, packaging contributes 71% of carbon emissions, followed by electricity (26%).
According to the report data, the packhouse CO2e benchmark is 0.15 kg CO2e per kilogram of fruit.
Corrugated cardboard accounts for most (64%) of the packaging-related emissions in packhouses, followed by plastic (24%). The cradle-to-grave carbon footprints of these two types of packaging create emission hotspots at packhouses.
Since 2017, local packhouses have managed to reduce their carbon emissions, mostly as a result of packaging emissions having decreased. The contribution of electricity emissions at packhouses fluctuates more – the 2020 average for table-grape packhouses is almost half of that for 2019.
In cold stores, electricity is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions (66%), followed by refrigerant leakage (33%). The carbon footprint benchmark of cold stores handling table grapes is 0.85 kg CO2e per kilogram of fruit produced.
Cutting down on emissions
The industry is clear about its responsibility towards mitigating the impact of climate change. This is because it recognises that climate change will completely alter the way in which food is produced and sold.
Many table-grape producers operate in parts of the country considered potentially vulnerable to climate change, which holds business risks for their operations.
Wessels advises producers to incorporate their emissions data into their management processes.
"If you do your carbon footprint for the first time, it is valuable to look at the benchmark values for your commodity and region. Remember that every farm is unique. Ideally, you should calculate your carbon footprint for at least three years in a row to make comparisons year-on-year, and truly understand where your hotspots are. You can then start to manage those factors that cause the highest emissions in your business."
On farms, energy costs can be saved and emissions reduced by changing irrigation practices. By improving irrigation efficiency, farmers can use less energy, which not only reduces their carbon footprint, but also saves them money and water.
In addition, producers can reduce their electricity use and cut their emissions further by using variable speed drives on water pumps.
Changing packaging materials can also help reduce emissions in packhouses.
Turning risks into opportunities
Growing consumer demand for fruit produced in a socially and environmentally conscious manner has put pressure on farmers to produce, pack and distribute their fruit more sustainably. Such consumer pressure holds both risks and opportunities for producers, highlights Wessels.
Retailers and consumers, especially in some European countries, often consider a company's carbon footprint before buying its products, and they want eco-friendly packaging. In a 2019 consumer survey done by Accenture, it was found that 77% of people consider plastic the least environmentally responsible type of packaging.
Similarly, research done by Abacus Data, on behalf of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, shows that 57% of consumers would prefer cardboard and moulded pulp packaging over plastic.
Nearly 60% of consumers are also willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce its negative impact on the environment; among those who claim that sustainability is important to them, this figure jumps to 77%.
"Adopting more sustainable packaging in packhouses presents an opportunity to reduce emissions while, at the same time, addressing consumer concerns about sustainability," Wessels says.
"Increasingly, more sustainable packaging is already being used in local packhouses. Such materials, however, do not come cheap and have an effect on income streams."
Wessels believes that some of the most significant carbon footprint reductions in packhouses can be achieved by installing solar panels on rooftops. "This option unfortunately, also does not come cheaply but could yield long-term benefits – financially and in terms of retailers and consumers in environmentally conscious markets," she says.
Recognising local carbon heroes
The CCC recently launched its Carbon Heroes website ( https://carbonheroes.co.za/ ), which recognises industry leaders who are managing their carbon emissions.
"Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the carbon footprint of the products they buy," Wessels highlights. "They also think more positively about a brand that is reducing their carbon footprint."
In 2020 international consumer research by The Carbon Trust, for instance, shows continuing levels of support for carbon labelling on products, with 66% of consumers reportedly embracing it as a good idea.
With this in mind, the CCC has been considering the development of a carbon footprint label. "As carbon footprint labels are still in their infancy, we have decided to start off with a digital Carbon Heroes label and a website to give recognition to our farmers and businesses for meticulously calculating their carbon footprint."
"We are now exploring the option of using these labels as on-product labels. We are considering including a QR code that will link to the website, where each farm or business has their own profile where they can share information about their carbon emission reduction or environmental sustainability story."
Producers who participate in the CCC initiative have the option of getting their data checked by the initiative's technical team. The producer then receives a B-grading for having their data checked, and can choose to be featured on the Carbon Heroes website.
South African table-grape producers currently included on the Carbon Heroes list are Orange Falls situated near Augrabies (Northern Cape), and Platkloof on the edge of the Sandveld (Western Cape).
Visit https://www.climatefruitandwine.co.za for more information.
