Sustainable Winegrowing BC

Sustainable Winegrowing BC (SWBC) is a voluntary, third-party verified certification program.

SWBC aims to foster grape and wine production that enhances environmental quality and the resource base on which the industry depends, is economically viable, and improves quality of life for growers, producers and society as a whole.

About the Program

The BC Wine Grape Council Sustainability Committee, with the assistance of Insight Environmental Consulting & Synapse Strategies, designed the SWBC certification program based on a number of compatible programs from other regions and with considerable input from B.C. industry members and researchers.

SWBC certification will bring many benefits to the industry:

  • Help users increase quality while cutting operating costs.
  • Provide a means to compare current practices within and between regions, to identify areas that need improvement and to quantify those improvement.
  • Provide a formal means of recognizing industry achievements and communicating those achievements to a growing market of consumers whose buying habits are increasingly influenced by the sustainability of a product.

Overall, the program will lead to a viable, competitive and continually improving wine grape industry in B.C.

Standards

Two sustainability standards are the foundation of the program: winery and vineyard.

The most up-to-date standards can be found on the Resources page of the SWBC website, along with templates and guidance materials.

The standards have been designed as self-assessments that members complete each year. These assessments are the key to the program. The questions reinforce awareness of the environmental, economic and social issues that affect vineyards and wineries.

For More Information

Questions, comments, or concerns can be emailed to info@bcwgc.org.