Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standard of Sustainable Practice – Viticulture
This standard provides the requirements for viticulture growers to achieve certification enabling them to become certified members of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia
Sustainable Winegrowing Australia
Sustainable Winegrowing Australia provides a mechanism for Australian wine grape growers and winemakers to be acknowledged for their practices according to recognised international standards. Visit Sustainable Winegrowing Australia for more information, including Member search, and access to the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia resource use indicators.
Questions?
Refer to the below Wine Industry Q & A’s below for more information, or contact us via phone: 02 8039 9999, or email: [email protected]
Wine Industry Q & A
- What is Sustainable Winegrowing Australia?
Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is Australia’s national program for grape growers and winemakers to demonstrate and continuously improve their sustainability in the vineyard and winery through the environmental, social, and economic aspects of their businesses.
The program takes a holistic approach to managing, supporting and promoting sustainability. It is administered by the Australian Wine Research Institute with governance, endorsement and active support from Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia.
Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is modelled on global best practices and aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with progress towards these monitored annually.
It provides a clear pathway to becoming a Certified Member, with the full support of the Australian Wine Research Institute along the way.
Certified members:
- Commit to triennial independent audits to the Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice.
- Are identified by the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia trust mark – an assurance to customers and consumers of how the product is produced.
- Benefit from inclusion in Wine Australia’s marketing events programs, in case studies, sustainability stories, and in Wine Australia’s education and content for customers and consumers.
- When do I need to update from the Environmental Code to the Sustainability Standard?
Registered businesses that had previously participated or received training in the Freshcare Environmental Viticulture or Environmental Winery Codes of Practice will need to transition to the Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standard of Sustainable Practice – Viticulture (AWISSP-VIT1) or Winery (AWISSP-WIN1), by 1 January 2021.
From 1 January 2021, only audits to Freshcare AWISSP-VIT1 or Freshcare AWISSP-WIN1 will be undertaken.
- I’m a new member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia what does Freshcare provide the program?
Freshcare is the certification program owner that manages the development, application, and certification processes of the Freshcare Standards provided for voluntary use by industry.
The Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice – Edition 1 in both Viticulture (AWISSP-VIT1), and Winery (AWISSP-WIN1), were developed to support the Australian Wine Industry, and Sustainable Winegrowing Australia members.
Certification to AWISSP-VIT1 and AWISSP-WIN1 is achieved through third-party audits on a triennial basis.
The Sustainable Winegrowing Australia trust mark has been released in conjunction with the AWISSP-VIT1 and AWISSP-WIN1 Standards, for use by certified members on wine labels, communications, and marketing materials, to provide a visible demonstration of their commitment to sustainable practices. Customers and consumers will know from seeing the trust mark that the vineyard and winery have met rigorous standards of sustainability.
Certified members will also benefit from enhanced international marketing opportunities through Wine Australia’s marketing events programs and the integration of sustainability stories into Wine Australia’s education and content for customers and consumers.
- Why do I need to undertake Freshcare Training for the Sustainability Standards?
The requirement for Freshcare training in the AWISSP-VIT and AWISSP-WIN Standards is to ensure each participating business has at least one trained representative.
Freshcare training supports the interpretation of requirements of the Standards, provides examples of the documents and record-keeping needed to be kept, and explains how to integrate the program for best practice.
Training supports learning and program adoption and is an important component of all Freshcare Standards. Training ensures consistency in application, understanding and preparedness by participants in the Freshcare programs, and supports them to have all the tools needed to support their certification journey.
It is acknowledged that a number of participants may have existing qualifications relevant to applying the Standards, however, participation in the Freshcare training component should still benefit those participants, providing an opportunity for a greater understanding of the program and insight into ways the individual or business can integrate it.
- How do I book an audit for the Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice?
Audits to the Freshcare Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice (Viticulture or Winery), are required to be undertaken on a triennal basis for businesses to maintain certification.
When preparing for your first audit, it is recommended to have a minimum of 3 months’ program records established.
To schedule and book your audit, contact one of Freshcare’s registered Certification Bodies here. Alternatively, complete the Audit Quote Request Form to receive a quote for audit from all available Certification Bodies