I will work with Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) to transform its Terrazas Winery, located in Mendoza, Argentina, into an international benchmark for sustainability. By building and implementing a coherent strategy melding business and environmental principles, Terrazas will be able to position itself as an international ecodestination. Such a positioning will both contribute to the winery's financial bottom line, as well as enable it to encourage other wineries in Argentina and around the world to integrate sustainability into their business practices.

WHY THE PROJECT IS NEEDED:

This innovative project is urgently needed because it will have a large and measurable environmental impact in three unique ways:

First, the project engages the business community instead of fighting against it in the search for environmental solutions. Through this project, I will try to reframe the discussion to focus on "environmental problems as business problems," so that the environment is linked to the financial bottom line. The fact that the winery is a for-profit endeavor will make the message of sustainability all the more palatable and powerful to other wine businesses, businesses associated with the travel industry, and wine consumers in Argentina.

Second, this project represents an important step for LVMH with regards to its overall environment strategy. Not only is Terrazas renowned in wine circles around the world, but LVMH also enjoys a strong international reputation. LVMH is one of the most visible consumer goods company today. Thus, if my work with the winery can convince LVMH as a whole to take action, I can potentially reach an audience that does not usually think about the environment.

Third, wine consumption worldwide is growing at a rapid pace, and wine-related businesses are becoming an increasingly important part of many countries' economies. By linking long-term financial stability to sound environmental decision-making, Terrazas can positively impact the ecological and economic paths of many economies. This project can perhaps look to the success that Costa Rica, an increasingly more developed country in Latin America, has had in capitalizing on environmental conservation.

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