Fairtrade Support

La Riojana was the first Argentine winery to become Fairtrade certified in 2006. We have grown to be the largest Fairtrade wine producer in the world providing, since 2006, approximately $15 million Argentine pesos of support to our members, our workers, their families and in turn to their local communities. 

This has included investing in a range of vital services to our members and our workers, many of whom live in remote villages with poor local facilities.

One of the most important projects was to establish a fresh running water facility, including a 160m deep well, for our members and workers living in the village of Tilimuqui who had to endure desperate summers, with temperatures as high as 40°C, without a regular water supply.

The Fairtrade Premium raised by sales of La Riojana’s Fairtrade wines, has also enabled us to build a new secondary school, giving the children of our workers and members access to a free technical secondary education, as well as the children living in the wider local community.

In 2013 we were certified as an organisation of small producers under the OPP (Organización de Pequeños Productores) programme.

Our OPP certification means that 100% of our production and our growers are Fairtrade certified.

It also means we must demonstrate the steps we are taking to ensure the economical and social development of our producers using the Fairtrade Premium.

In addition to which, being OPP certified means at least 50% of our members and 50% of our wine volumes must come from small producers.