SWR’s Wine Sustainability Standards Benchmarking Pilot Unveiled
The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is proud to announce the release of its Standards Benchmarking Pilot Report, marking a significant step forward in bringing clarity and comparability to the world of wine sustainability standards. With over 40 standards globally, the need for alignment and understanding across these frameworks has never been greater.
This important work was made possible through the support of The Wine Society, Systembolaget, Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Alko, and Equalitas. SWR also extends its gratitude to the standards bodies who participated in this pilot for their candid collaboration and invaluable insights.
The Urgent Need for Comparability
The wine industry faces a unique challenge: sustainability is critical, yet the sheer number of standards operating worldwide makes it difficult to communicate a clear and unified vision of what sustainability truly means for wine. Dr. Peter Stanbury, Research Director at SWR, comments:
“Standards need to be local – we talk of terroir with wine, the same is true of standards; but there is an urgent need for comparability – how standards are the same, how they are different.”
Through this benchmarking effort, SWR seeks to identify and share best practices, ensuring that retailers, producers, and the broader supply chain have access to clear, reliable metrics and definitions of sustainability in wine production.
The Pilot Study: Overarching Themes
In its pilot phase, SWR evaluated seven standards from key wine-producing regions, including California, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, Australia, and Germany. The benchmarking process used SWR’s Global Reference Framework (GRF) along with a rigorously developed scoring matrix addressing core aspects of sustainability, including environmental management, labour standards, packaging logistics, and governance.
“Each standard we reviewed offered valuable insights, and the positive engagement with the standards bodies allowed us to get a clearer picture of their strengths and areas for growth,”
added Dr. Stanbury. The pilot study revealed several recurring themes:
- More than just a badge: Standards play a dual role – demonstrating sustainable practices to third parties and providing clear guidance to vineyards/wineries on best practice in sustainability
- Audit Burden vs. Inclusivity: Robust audits are essential for credibility but can be burdensome, especially for smaller wineries. Some smaller wineries may avoid certification due to high costs and time commitments.
- Making inclusivity work: support beyond certification: Standards bodies often offer significant support to businesses: consulting-like support, webinars, guidance documents, referrals to external organisations.
- The importance of local relevance: Local standards provide region-specific insights that a global standard cannot, such as addressing local pests or unique climate needs.
- Labour Rights Violations: Labour rights require more rigorous standards; however, raising issues may risk certification, potentially discouraging transparency. Standards should at minimum include checks on key labour documentation (e.g., worker IDs, legal pay, and accommodation quality)
- Structure and Accessibility of Standards: The standards varied widely in document structure; some are comprehensive yet complex, while others are more simplified but may lack depth.
- Continuous Improvement: All standards emphasise multi-year plans for continuous improvement, with smaller initial steps followed by more challenging tasks over time.
Looking Ahead
The pilot study is just the beginning. SWR will expand the benchmarking process to include the remaining 30+ sustainability standards globally, with the comprehensive results and full report set for completion in 2025.
For more details on our methodology, key findings, and overarching themes, read the public version of the report. The full report, including detailed evaluations and scoring for each of the seven standards reviewed, is available exclusively to SWR members.
Learn More
Visit our Standards Benchmarking page to dive deeper into this work and discover how it aligns with our other key efforts, such as the Bottle Weight Accord, Sustainable Viticulture Protocol, and Labour Standards.
Join the SWR membership to gain exclusive access to the full report and become part of a global effort driving sustainability in the wine industry. For more information about supporting our initiatives, please visit our Wine List.
Contributors
The Wine Society
Alko Oy
Systembolaget
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
