Victorian winery awarded $500,000 for microbat tech

Fowles Wine owners Luise and Matt Fowles. Image courtesy Coles Group

Family-owned winery Fowles Wine, based in Victoria, has been awarded $500,000 to engineer BatNavs—a technology that helps micro-bats to navigate the vineyard and feed on pests, reducing the need for pesticides and promoting biodiversity.

Fowles Wine is a Coles Liquor supplier, and received the grant as part of the Coles Nurture Fund, which aims to turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions that benefit producers, the environment and customers.

*There are 16 species of insect-eating bats in Victoria. Image courtesy Coles Group*

Fowles Wine owner and director Matt Fowles said the Australian-first project is about rethinking how farming and nature can work together.

“We live by the idea of ‘farming in nature’s image’ which means finding ways to work with nature, rather than against it. Working with microbats to manage pests in the vineyard is a great example of this ethos,” he said.

“The potential benefits of this project are massive, not just for Fowles Wine, but also for the broader wine industry here in Australia. Based on our research, we estimate savings of $50 million per year in pesticides and a reduced environmental impact.”

*Matt and Luise Fowles with their three children. Image courtesy Coles Group*

“Farming can be a fairly lonely pursuit, so it is really nice to have your ideas and hard work recognised. The Coles Nurture Fund has put wind in our sails and allowed us to think big.”

Coles said the grants reflect its commitment to supporting local producers and communities, noting that it remains Australia’s top corporate giver by percentage of profit for the fifth year running.

Coles Group chief commercial and sustainability officer Anna Croft said this year’s recipients stood out for their forward-thinking projects that drive innovation across the industry.

“We’re proud to support these businesses that are pioneering smart and practical solutions that will help to create a more sustainable future,” she said.

“It’s exciting to see such a strong pipeline of ideas with the potential to make a real impact, not just on production methods here in Australia, but on the communities and environments they are part of.”

Find out more about Coles Nurture Fund Round and the 12 other recipients here.

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