FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
SUSTAINABILITY
“We have lived together, worked together and cared for each other on this farm for centuries, passing on values and skills from one generation to another, over and over again. For us creating opportunities for advancement within our community is not simply a good idea, it is a way of life.”
Petrus Bosman, CEO, Bosman Family Vineyards
WE BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA
INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
From extending ownership through a workers’ trust, to spearheading social projects in the farm community, Bosman Family Vineyards has long been a pioneer in uplifting the local wine industry with its innovative model that weaves environmental and social responsibility into the fabric of the business.
We believe in the future of South Africa and its wine industry. In this we are committed to producing wines of excellence both in their provenance and in their process by sustainably growing our community and our environment.
Bosman Adama is an inclusive transformed wine business. In 2009, 260 permanently employed workers received a 26% stake in the business, a significant role player in the vine and wine growing industry of the Western Cape. To date it is the largest land reform transaction in the history of the South African wine industry.
The mutual agreement between the Bosman family and the members of the Adama Trust is to continuously strive to create and implement projects that will build a sustainable future for not only the community, but also for the environment which they all call home.
Bosman Family Vineyards has been a Fairtrade accredited producer since 2009.
WE INVEST IN PEOPLE AND THEIR POTENTIAL
PEOPLE AND PRODUCE INEXTRICABLY LINKED FOR CENTURIES ON BOSMAN FAMILY VINEYARDS
Bosman Family Vineyards is not only a wine producer. Our plant improvement facility plays a major role in propagating new, healthy vines while our cuttings nursery supplies “stokkies” to producers across the country. We can therefore track our wines right back to the cutting in an unbroken chain of quality and care.
But this also means that there is sufficient work year round for everyone on the farm from the nursery, to the vineyards, to the cellar. To keep this momentum, we must invest in people and their potential, focussing on building a cohesive, sustainable community so that all may thrive and collectively create a valuable legacy.
WHAT IS FAIRTRADE AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME, THE CONSUMER?
Fairtrade is a simple way to make a difference in the lives of the people who grow the things we love. The organisation does this by making trade fair, ensuring that the workers involved in production are treated justly. To be an accredited Fairtrade producer, farmers have to ensure their workers enjoy a certain standard of living in terms of housing, education, healthcare, working conditions etc.
THE COMMITMENT
For every bottle of Fairtrade wine sold, a small additional amount of the selling price, what we call “social premiums” are collected and paid back to the Adama Foundation. This is a communal fund administered by the farm employees, with mentorship by management, to spend as they see fit, to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of their own community.
THIS IS HOW IT WORKS
THE BOVLEI LEARNING CENTRE
Formerly a parsonage, this sprawling Victorian building is a hive of activity morning, noon and night. It houses the offices of the Bosman Adama administrative staff, the clinic, the crèche, the aftercare programme, a computer centre for after-hours study and school projects, a well-equipped kitchen, a well-stocked library filled with books for adults and children; and it forms a meeting place for the various clubs and activities on the go.
There is also a counselling office, with a trained social auxiliary worker who takes care of the needs of all those on the farm including assistance for the aged and arranging for individuals to get treatment for substance abuse.
THE YOUTH HUB
This newly renovated building has been equipped with kitchen facilities, ablutions, desks and chairs, as well as updated computers and Wi-Fi specifically for the youth in our community.
On weekday afternoons our high school learners attend extra classes in Mathematics and English, while life skills workshops including computer literacy, study methods and sex education are presented throughout the year.
The space is accessible to the youth as a quiet place to study with internet access to complete school projects and do research.