200 likes | 317 Views
Allison Jordan Executive Director. Agenda. CA Sustainable Winegrowing Program background Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Lessons Learned. Sustainable Winegrowing.
E N D
Agenda • CA Sustainable Winegrowing Program background • Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing • Lessons Learned
Sustainable Winegrowing Growing and winemaking practices that are sensitive to the Environment, responsive to the needs and interests of society-at-large (social Equity), and Economically feasible to implement and maintain = 3 E’s or Triple Bottom Line “Future Generations”
What is Sustainable Winegrowing? • Sustainable Winegrowing practices: • conserve water and energy • maintain healthy soil • reduce pesticide use • preserve wildlife habitat • protect air and water quality • recycle natural resources • enhance relations with employees and neighbors • attain highest wine quality possible
Sustainability is a Direction, Not a Destination • Serves as compass for using resources more efficiently • Wineries and vineyards determine how fast and how far they want to go • A process of continuous improvement
California Sustainable Winegrowing Program • Partnership between Wine Institute & California Association of Winegrape Growers (started in 2002) • Comprehensive self-assessment workbook • Partners with regional associations, government agencies, universities & NGOs • Hosts educational workshops throughout CA • Publicly reports on adoption of practices
Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook Topics • Viticulture • Soil Management • Vineyard Water Management • Pest Management • Wine Quality • Ecosystem Management • Energy Efficiency • Winery Water Conservation & Quality • Material Handling • Solid Waste Reduction & Management • Environmentally Preferred Purchasing • Human Resources • Neighbors & Communities • Air Quality
SWP Workbook Framework 227 Criteria with Four Categories of Practices
SWP Participation2002-Present • SWP Self-Assessment (200 workshops) • 1,566 vineyard and winery organizations (1,851 individual participants) • >358K acres of winegrapes (68%) and 150 million cases of wine (62%) • SWP Targeted Education (184 workshops) • 9,240 attendees* (*some participants have attended more than one workshop)
Sustainability Reports www.sustainablewinegrowing.org
Launched in January 2010 Enables wineries and vineyards to communicate their commitment to: • environmental stewardship • conservation of natural resources • socially responsible business practices
3rd Party Verification of the Cycle Cycle of Continuous Improvement
Certification Goals • Maintain California’s global leadership position • Provide voluntary third-party verification option • Enhance transparency and credibility with key stakeholders including regulators, trade, environmental organizations, media and consumers • Encourage statewide participation • Advance entire California industry toward best practices
Certification Requirements Annual SWP Self-Assessment (S-A) Demonstrate accuracy of S-A during third-party audit Meet all 58 prerequisites by scoring a 2 or higher, or having an action plan in place to improve performance Determine significant impacts & prioritize areas for improvement Establish, implement & update Action Plans annually Demonstrate continuous improvement: Maintain or improve S-A scores
Certification Prerequisites 3 Levels of Stringency: • Must score Category 2 or above (5 criteria) • Must have action plan if score Category 1 with one-year timeline (39 criteria) • Must have action plan if score Category 1 with no timeline (14 criteria)
Communicating Certification • Certificate for proof of certification(gatekeepers) • CCSW Certification logo on company websites, promotional materials, and secondary packaging – accompanied by: • Claim statementE.g. “Acme Winery is Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing” • List of certified wineries and vineyards on CSWAwebsite and to share with media, trade and consumers • Up-to-date certification information and guidelines on CSWA website to ensure transparency
Related CSWA Projects Industry-Wide Sustainability Targets • Identify performance-based metrics • Collect relevant data from SWP participants • Establish industry baselines • Eventually set industry targets to measure and communicate industry-wide improvements CA Wine Community Sustainability Awards • Develop competitive award program to • acknowledge leaders in sustainable winegrowing • Help communicate the sustainability story • Develop relevant public relations campaign
Lessons Learned • Allow time to get buy-in of industry and stakeholders • Understand the goal of certification: buoy entire industry vs. recognize a few – will help you select type • Know your audience • Think about internal and external communications from the start • Understand (and partner with?) similar programs
Questions? info@sustainablewinegrowing.org www.sustainablewinegrowing.org