Argentina has a long agricultural history but, like many countries, much of it has been under poor working conditions. In the past ten years there has been some movement towards a few Fair Trade initiatives but these are mainly driven by foreign consumer demands (coming from Europe or the US).
Gabriela Furlotti who owns a boutique bodega in Chacras noticed the growing demand for Fair Trade products and wanted to use this consumer demand to try to improve working conditions for some vineyard workers and preserve dying out traditions in Mendoza.
She wanted to make fair trade wine, which meant being produced by all legal workers (who have insurance, pensions and benefits) under better regulated working conditions (a minimum wage etc) along with many other strict requirements to improve work, social and environmental impacts. But in order to do this, something had to start from a more grass roots level.
VinaSol is a co-operative of small producers and vineyard workers and was created to enable small producers, local cosechadores and other workers to have a means to better working conditions; to enable small, independent and local producers to resist being squeezed out and stand their ground in what is becoming an increasingly big and international game; and to preserve the historic contratista system (which enables humble families to work towards owning their own vineyard and opening more opportunities for local people to take a part in their land, not just wealthy foreign investors). This is the start of an important shift to preserving the grape picking and wine growing tradition to local families who can pass their skills and land from generation to generation.
For more information visit www.vinasol.com.ar or www.solunawines.com
