Global Leadership: Sebastián Tramón of Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana Named “Green Personality of the Year”

• The company was also honored with the Amorim Cork Special Sustainability Award, consolidating its position as the largest organic vineyard in the world.
• With certifications such as B Corp, Fair Trade, and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), the vineyard reaffirms that sustainability must be transversal, integrating soil care and human development.

Chilean viticulture is once again highlighted in the major international leagues. Sebastián Tramón, Sustainability Manager of Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana, has been honored as Green Personality of the Year 2024 by the influential British magazine The Drinks Business. This significant global recognition celebrates his leadership and notable contribution to promoting responsible agricultural practices.

Adding to this achievement is a new corporate milestone: Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana also received the Amorim Cork Special Sustainability Award, validating the company’s historic commitment, which in 1998 made the brave pioneering decision to transition from conventional production to a 100% organic portfolio.

For Tramón, these awards do not represent a goal, but rather momentum for the industry. “These recognitions are a call to action. A responsibility to continue doing more and better things, both for Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana and for the Chilean wine and agricultural sector,” he emphasizes.

Soil as a Priority and Comprehensive Sustainability

The executive stresses that, while the industry has multiple impacts, the main and most overlooked one is soil use. For this reason, the model of the world’s largest vineyard completely excludes synthetic molecules and agrochemicals, protecting ecosystems and the health of its employees.

To achieve this, the vineyard operates under three distinct yet complementary concepts:

• Organic farming: The regulatory basis that prohibits harmful inputs and artificial processes, ensuring pure, toxicity-free grapes.
• Regenerative agriculture: Focused on ensuring that soils are true carbon sinks, increasing biodiversity and maintaining vegetative cover. In 2023, Emiliana was the first vineyard in Chile to obtain the strict international ROC (Regenerative Organic Certified) certification.
• Biodynamic agriculture: A comprehensive approach that includes natural cycles and operates as a closed ecosystem, where everything is reintegrated through techniques such as large-scale composting.

However, at Viñedos Orgánicos Emiliana, sustainability transcends purely environmental concerns. Through Fair Trade certification, the company ensures a direct economic premium that funds projects to improve housing or support workers in catastrophic situations. “It has to do with how the company guarantees that the conditions of the employees promote dignity and human development,” explains Tramón.

“One of the main lessons we have learned is that sustainability does not depend solely on a team, but is something cultural within organizations,” the executive reflects on his more than 10 years of work at the company. “Sustainability is not an end, it is a path, and on that path, one must continue learning.”