Dr. Paul Clüver, the visionary behind Paul Clüver Family Wines, situated on the ancestral De Rust farm in Elgin, has been honored with the prestigious WWF’s Living Planet Award for this year. The award is presented annually to extraordinary individuals in South Africa whose transformative efforts inspire a harmonious coexistence with nature. The laureates were announced during WWF South Africa’s annual general meeting on November 11th, hosted at the picturesque Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
Acknowledged as a trailblazer, innovator, and leader in the realm of regenerative agriculture, Dr. Paul Clüver has significantly improved both the lives of fellow human beings and the interconnected natural world they rely upon. His impactful journey spans over five dedicated decades, encompassing roles ranging from medical doctor to farmer, catalytic conservationist to visionary community advocate, and devoted family man. After practicing as a neurosurgeon for over 30 years, he transitioned to full-time farming in 1989 on his family’s multi-faceted De Rust Estate, nestled within the Elgin Valley.
In 1996, Dr. Clüver established the Lebanon Fruit Farm Trust, a black empowerment farming initiative. Concurrently, he pioneered Thandi Wines, a Black Economic Empowerment wine enterprise that notably became the world’s inaugural Fairtrade wine brand. Beyond his steadfast commitment to empowerment and social progress, his lifelong dedication to conservation and innovation has been nothing short of remarkable.
As early as 1998, he assumed the role of a trustee at WWF South Africa, and his involvement has continued for nearly 25 years. During the early 2000s, he took a pioneering step by entering into a perpetuity contract to safeguard a portion of the De Rust farm through CapeNature’s Stewardship Programme, a groundbreaking move in the Western Cape.
Around the same period, concerns arose within the conservation community due to the rapid expansion of vineyards, which posed a threat to the existence of critically endangered fynbos and renosterveld vegetation. Dr. Clüver emerged as an early advocate for this cause. In 2003, in collaboration with the Botanical Society of South Africa, he sought to find a positive solution to protect the iconic biodiversity of the Cape wine-growing regions. This collective effort led to the establishment of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, subsequently evolving into the WWF Conservation Champion program, now encompassing 55 participating farms in the Western Cape.
Dr. Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF, remarked, “We applaud all our awardees for their significant contributions to various sectors, ranging from communal to commercial farming and climate initiatives, in the South African landscape. We commend these individuals, organizations, and communities for their unwavering dedication and commitment, which contribute to our ongoing endeavor to secure a healthy natural environment that benefits both people and nature.”
