Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
these as “pre-competitive” issues for the California winegrape industry.
California winegrape growers do not receive federal crop subsidies, and
recognize they have to cooperate to compete on a global stage for
consumers.
The Wine Institute, the California winery trade group, was conduct-
ing a strategic planning process during the time several winegrape
partnerships began to attract attention, and the Institute recognized the
marketing value of becoming a leader in “sustainable” practices, so this
was included in “Wine Vision,” along with encouraging American con-
sumption of wine, and promoting US wines in the global market. From
Wine Vision, the institute partnered with CAWG to develop the Code of
Sustainable Winegrowing Practices (described in chapter 5). The Code is
designed for a statewide audience, but also for adaptation to local
regions. Its primary audience consists of vineyard managers and wine-
makers, but CAWG and the institute are trying to appeal to all
the people and institutions (neighbors, regulatory agencies, input suppli-
ers, customers) with whom the industry interacts. Outreach with the
Code is through half-day workshops, in which vineyard and winery
managers work through the topic, learn about the criteria of sustainabil-
ity promoted by the Code, and assess their own operations in light of
this.
The Code builds on the strengths of previous partnerships, but marks
a new phase in the agroecological partnership model. It is the most
sophisticated analytical tool yet developed for evaluating the production
of a commodity. It has the most comprehensive approach to sustainabil-
ity developed to date. It encompasses concerns for sustainability beyond
on-farm activity to include the production of wines. It is the first part-
nership to evaluate operations on the basis of personnel practices and
how they relate to their neighbors and communities.
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As I explained in chapter 6, the network of cooperators in winegrape
partnerships extends to the processors (wineries) more than any other
crop. The Code workbook provides quantitative, objective criteria for
assessing current practices throughout the state. The Wine Institute and
CAWG intend the Code to validate the notion of self-regulation. If they
can hold their members voluntarily to a higher standard than other
agricultural sectors, they expect to avoid regulatory scrutiny.
