When asked which results surprised her most, Mafalda is peremptory: the fact that vineyards in Portugal currently sequester 116% of direct carbon emissions. A performance achieved through, “in fact, simple things like the use of ecological corridors, auxiliary species… it was a bit of letting nature work”, he says amusingly. “When I visited the vineyards with my grandfather, when I was a little girl, I thought that some of the flowers and herbs I saw were for decoration. In fact, the habitat is immensely important for the sustainability of the land”, she simplifies.
For the second phase of Seed the Future, there are no defined objectives yet – “we will have to start thinking about them at the end of this year” – because there is still work to be done and consolidated.” But one of the things that Mafalda believes is inevitable is more efficient data collection that allows us to measure and compare the concrete actions carried out in each area and each company and the establishment of more demanding goals – “we can’t have goals that we know will be easy to achieve, otherwise we won’t make an effort either, right?”, she says amusingly.
“We feel a great responsibility towards our peers, on this path. We want what we do at Sogrape to also have an impact on the sector, which is why, for example, we sponsor the translation of scientific articles that are coming out – sometimes we even send them directly to our partners – and share what we do here.” For Mafalda Guedes, reducing alcohol consumption, especially by younger generations, is the biggest challenge in the coming years. “We have to be able to explain that wine is part of our culture, of the Mediterranean diet, which is one of the most balanced, and that it is also a very relevant element of our economy”, highlights.
“I think the biggest challenge is trying to understand how to reach consumers differently, because after all we continue to have to sell wine. And this anticipation, and these decisions we make now, don’t just have an impact in the short term – nor do we want it to be like that. Our commitment is to the future. What we do now will have an impact 30 years from now. Just like the decisions that were made 40 years ago at Sogrape, they are having an impact now. And the world is very different from what it was, and will be very different from what it is, in the future. So our commitment is to anticipate, decide and leave the company ready for the next generations”, he concludes.
Sogrape recorded, in 2024 – the accounts for 2025 have not yet been revealed – a turnover of more than 350 million euros. The group sells around 150 bottles of wine per minute, with Mateus Rosé being an important contributor to these numbers, and has 1200 employees spread across the world. Of these, 700 work in Portugal. With 25 farms and 19 wineries, it remains a 100% family company.
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