More than 1,000 Indian runner ducks are helping protect vineyards at Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate in South Africa’s Western Cape, providing a natural alternative to chemical pest control.

The ducks move through the vineyards twice a day, feeding on snails, aphids, worms and other insects that can damage grapevines. Sheep and cattle also form part of the estate’s regenerative farming system, grazing cover crops and weeds while naturally returning nutrients to the soil.

Vergenoegd Löw has used runner ducks for pest control since the 1980s, but the practice is gaining renewed attention as farmers look for ways to reduce pesticide use, improve soil health and adapt to climate pressures.

The approach demonstrates how regenerative agriculture can use natural ecosystems to support productivity while reducing dependence on chemical inputs. The ducks have also become a tourism attraction, adding value to the estate’s wine and hospitality operations.

As African farmers face rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and soil degradation, integrated approaches such as livestock grazing and natural pest management could offer practical solutions for more sustainable agricultural production.