BC – British Columbians who love a glass of BC wine and support environmentally responsible businesses have easy choices ahead, as a new sustainability certification program for BC grape growers and wineries will put those green standards right on the label.
Sustainable Winegrowing BC (SWBC), a program of the British Columbia Wine Grape Council, is developing the certification program. Participation in this program will allow BC to highlight the integrity and credibility of the provincial wine industry, and increase competitiveness of BC wine with other top wine-growing regions around the world.
SWBC has already established an online self-assessment tool that allows growers and wineries to view their sustainability performance. The new certification program will take the next step in maintaining and enhancing public trust, with robust and verifiable outcomes and indicators. The certification program will include a sustainability advisor assisting growers and wineries in their application for certification.
Industry has led SWBC’s development for nearly a decade, with the goal of reducing the environmental footprint, while maintaining and enhancing public trust. The SWBC oversight committee includes BC viticulturists, winemakers, hospitality directors, researchers, and sustainability and marketing specialists.
The sustainable certification program is receiving $100,000 in cost-shared funding from the governments of Canada and BC, through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The five-year, $3-billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership, launched on April 1, 2018, includes $2 billion in cost-shared strategic initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories, and $1 billion for federal programs and services.
The Canadian Agricultural Partnership replaces Growing Forward 2, the five-year federal-provincial agreement that ended on March 31, 2018.