More than a year ago, we launched our Oé Biodiversity Program. This project reflects our commitment to going as far as possible in our approach to producing good organic wine, committed to biodiversity and not harmful to the environment. Today, our program is more relevant than ever. And yes, biodiversity needs us. It helps us every day, so we’re returning the favor. At Oé, we love to cultivate, to educate ourselves to nourish our minds, and to raise awareness in our community about our mission to do good through good. Here’s an overview of biodiversity, its role for our planet and the dangers that threaten it.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity. The word sounds simple, it has organic and diversity. And when we talk about organic, what do we really mean? Organic comes from the ancient Greekbios, which means life. Biodiversity is life in all its diversity. It is the natural heritage of our planet, what we call the living fabric of our world. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Naturally, it’s organic.
When we talk about biodiversity, we are talking about three very specific levels:
- Species diversity, that is, the diversity of species, mammals, insects, amphibians, plants, trees, in short, all the fauna and flora of our planet,
- Genetic diversity is the level of gene variety within each species, which means that every individual of its species is unique,
- Ecosystem diversity represents the multitude of habitats and landscapes that house the other two levels of diversity: oceans, forests, marshes, deserts...
Biodiversity is everything that is, it is the sum of all forms of life on earth such as plants, animals, bacteria as well as their habitats and their interactions. Yes, the interaction between species is very important. The different levels of biodiversity form an ecosystem, that is, the sum of all living beings that live in an environment and interact with each other. It is the different interactions within an ecosystem that ensure its balance.
The role of biodiversity in our lives
The benefits of biodiversity
Biodiversity is full of benefits for our planet. It provides us with oxygen, which is produced by the oceans via plankton and by forests thanks to photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is this particular ability of certain organisms to release oxygen thanks to the energy of the sun. Nature is well made, don’t you think?
Biodiversity supplies us with:
- In air and food (through livestock farming and agriculture),
- In raw materials such as wood or cotton,
- In therapeutic treatments thanks to plants.
Biodiversity is essential to the quality of life of the human species. And it’s good to remember that!
Biodiversity at the service of the planet
The interactions of the different living beings ensure the proper functioning of an ecosystem. We can think, for example, of the pollination of crops by pollinating insects such as bees which carry pollen from flower to flower and give us fruits and vegetables such as grapes and therefore good organic wine. We know that more than 70% of crops are made possible thanks to the action of insects, incredible, isn’t it?
Photo by Anastazja Kuroczycka on Unsplash
The maintenance of soil fertility is made possible by fungi and bacteria that recycle organic matter and facilitate the uptake of nutrients by plants. The regulation of species, including some crop pests, is made possible by the presence of their natural predators. When Mufasa talks about the circle of life to Simba to explain how the world works, he couldn’t have put it better. And yes, all this forms a very well-oiled system where everyone has their place and their importance.
Biodiversity and climate change
Biodiversity helps us fight climate change and limit its effects. In wetlands, plants help naturally purify water and provide fresh water thanks to their ability to absorb nitrogen, giving us access to drinking water. Terrestrial and marine biodiversity protects us from floods, cyclones, and erosion.
If you want to learn more about the role of wetlands for biodiversity, click here!
Trees, oceans and organic matter in the soil absorb half of the carbon dioxide emissions we produce. Biodiversity is an ally in mitigating the effects of climate change, helping to improve air and water quality. Working with nature offers low-cost, quickly implementable solutions that are accessible to the poorest populations. Such as protecting and restoring land, forests, and soils, reforesting coastlines, or improving the management of plains.
Photo by Frank Albrecht on Unsplash
Biodiversity is also a victim of climate change. Precipitation and pollution cause imbalances in ecosystems and the disappearance of species. The measures we put in place can harm biodiversity , such as wind turbines that threaten the flight of our friends, the birds.
When biodiversity is in danger, we must act to protect it!
Human overconsumption pushes farmers and ranchers to engage in intensive production that harms the planet. Such as the use ofchemical fertilizers that harm crop quality and our health. Overexploitation, deforestation, soil and ecosystem destruction, and the disappearance of species and their habitats... All these are frightening words that we would like to see change. Nothing is too late if everyone does their part!
The disappearance of one or more speciescan disrupt the entire ecosystem and the balance established by nature disappears along with it. To help you visualize the problem, imagine that every ecosystem on earth is an airplane flying in the sky. Just like an ecosystem, an airplane needs a set of elements to function. If one engine stops working, the other can take over; if the pilot loses consciousness, the co-pilot can take control of the flight. But if the other engine stops working, if the co-pilot is no longer able to fly the plane, and if the heart of the machine, the engine, stops working, the system loses its balance. The plane crashes and can cause irreparable damage on the ground, where we live. Do you see where we’re going with this? Well, it’s the same thing for biodiversity.
For example, if pollinators disappear, we lose part of our crops: no more vegetables, no more fruit, no more wine.
Many species are considered endangered. Large mammals such as pandas, small birds, insects, and microorganisms. Climate change disrupts the living conditions of plankton. Deforestation deprives us of a good ally in reducing carbon in the air. Overexploitation leads to the depletion of soils and our resources. It sounds frightening, but we can still change the course of events.
There are examples of preserving biodiversity. By working with nature, we ensure a healthy balance in our ecosystems and this balance protects us from climate disruptions while ensuring the quality of our air, our water, and our access to different resources. As the good old adage says: alone, you go fast; together, you go further! We can slow down the machine and take the time to care for our beautiful biodiversity so as to ensure the longevity and prosperity of our planet. To limit the depletion of resources, we can rethink our consumption and production methods.
Solutions to safeguard biodiversity
We owe the invention of the term “biological diversity” to Raymond F. Dasmann in 1968. The contraction of the term “biodiversity” (biodiversity) was first used in 1986 by Walter G. Rosen. It was during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio that the protection and restoration of biodiversity was considered an integral part of sustainable development. Several organizations such as the UNEP and the WWF are dedicated to protecting nature.
Solutions exist to tip the balance back:
- We can change our current models and opt for sustainable and eco-friendly consumption and production methods,
- Limit deforestation and reduce pollution,
- Work for the protection and return of biodiversity and promote organic farming. Certifications exist such as the Organic Farming (AB), Ecocert, and Nature & Progrès labels, which guide and recognize the initiatives of companies that help biodiversity.
Oé is committed to biodiversity
A year ago, Oé embarked on a new journey, the “Oé Biodiversity Program”. So, what is this program all about? Oe continuously supports awareness among our winegrowers about the challenges of biodiversity. We assess the biodiversity of our vineyards and provide advice on how to improve it with the help of the EcoFarms label and the Miimosa platform!
Our winegrowers are more concerned than ever about protecting biodiversity and are working to make it easier to integrate into the vineyards: bat houses, beehives for bees, and the planting of hedges and trees among the vines. All this with the aim of offering good organic wine that is fully in line with our commitments. Like our winegrowers Franck and Véronique in Pujols, who work every day to develop biodiversity in their vineyards. As part of the Oé Biodiversity Program, we partnered with Ecofarms and Miimosa to help Franck and Véronique with their projects.
At Oé, we want to maintain consistency across the board. And that is why we work with highly committed winegrowers and bottle our wines in the most responsible bottles possible. All our products are organic, AB certified.
- Our natural cork stopper comes from an FSC forest in Portugal,
- Our label is recycled and recyclable, chlorine-free, and applied with water-soluble glue,
- Our wines are naturally pesticide-free, produced through organic and environmentally friendly viticulture and bottled 40 km from Lyon,
- Our bottles are recycled and come from the deposit scheme that you can use at your local retailer anywhere in France, where they will then be collected and washed by one of our partners. You can find out here about the retailers that participate in the deposit scheme.
At Oé, we are sure that every initiative counts in changing the world, and we are proud to share this one with you and promote organic farming that cares about biodiversity and our future.
