Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/66152
GRAPE GRO WING ficiency, then we should measure water use over time in relation to yield and quality to see if our practices are, in fact, improving water-use efficiency. The logic in this approach is if we are implementing practices to achieve a de- sired outcome, then why not measure the outcome directly to gauge success? In this example, water use per unit of production is the performance metric. Other perfor- mance metrics are energy use per unit of production, nutrient inputs per unit of production and measures of biodiversity, greenhouse gas production and water and air quality. It is relatively easy to develop metrics and measure outcomes for things such as water use. Metrics to measure the outcomes of practices in other areas, such as human resources and ecosystem man- agement, are much more challenging to develop and measure. At this point in time, the groups showing the most interest in having growers start using performance metrics in their farming operations are buyers in the supply chain. While this may not be the case for wine, it is certainly true for many food crops. Buy- ers such as Wal-Mart, Unilever, Sysco and PepsiCo are encouraging their suppliers to use at least some performance metrics to measure their sustainability. This kind of pressure is causing consternation for some growers. Their concern is that collecting the necessary data required by the metric will increase their farming costs, yet their buyer will not pay them any more for their crops. In other words they are concerned using performance metrics will become a market-access issue rather than adding value to what they grow. Performance metrics provide buyers with information about how the crop is produced. Some in the wine community have concluded that performance metrics are not something to be concerned about because wine buyers in the supply chain are not influenced by the same things as buyers of produce and other food crops. While this might be true at the moment, the growing concern and media con- versation about topics such as climate change, greenhouse gas production and water quality will likely result in wine and winegrape buyers being concerned about performance metrics. Some winer- ies already are marketing their vineyards and wineries as carbon neutral, indicat- ing a move in this direction. Incentives for growers? Why should winegrape growers and winemakers be interested in learning about and using performance metrics in their operations? Hopefully there will be more incentives than just ensuring market access. It is very likely that using perfor- mance metrics such as water use, energy use and nutrient inputs over time will identify areas within the vineyard or win- eries where more efficient processes and practices can be implemented. By measuring and tracking outcomes, it will become evident which practices are resulting in desired outcomes and which are not. Those not having an effect can be discontinued. However, just as there is a lack of economic data to show the ben- efit of many of the sustainable practices growers implement, there is also a lack of economic data showing the benefits of us- SUPPORT RESEARCH & WINE INDUSTRY NEEDS THROUGH THE AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION Sustainable Ag EXPO featuring keynote speaker Karen Ross, Secretary of CDFA November 14-15, 2011 Paso Robles Event Center Paso Robles, CA - Two full days of Seminars featuring cross-crop and crop specific sessions highlighting cutting-edge practices and research. - An innovative Tradeshow offering ample opportunites to meet with key professionals in the ag industry whose services support the Three Ps of Sustainability: People, Plant, Profit. - Continuing Education credits, including Laws & Regulations, will be available for DPR, CCA, and RWQCB. Register Today! www.sustainableagexpo.org 805-369-2288 62 Wines & Vines sePTeMBeR 201 1 AMERICAN VINEYARD FOUNDATION P.O. Box 5779, Napa, CA., 94581 • T: (707) 252-6911 • Email info@avf.org. Visit our Web site at www.avf.org for information on funding and current research projects Finding Solutions Through Research For a wealth of useful viticulture and enology research and information, visit AVF.org, iv.ucdavis.edu, enologyaccess.org, or ngwi.org.