Effectiveness of Sustainability Programs in California Viticulture

Local and statewide sustainability programs are playing an increasingly important role in California viticulture. Many have broadened their scope of education and outreach activities from the more traditional grower meetings and dissemination of printed educational materials to include self-assessment workbooks and third-party certification. Prominent examples of sustainability programs in California viticulture include the Central Coast Vineyard Team, the Lodi Winegrape Commission, the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Such programs play a potentially critical role in promoting environmental, economic, and social sustainability by encouraging the adoption of sustainable practices and improving cooperation among growers, scientists, wineries, and regulatory officials. The study reported here uses quantitative surveys of outreach professionals and qualitative interviews of growers in California viticulture to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of a broad range of program goals for different programs throughout the state.