Wineries Seek Social Sustainability Recognition

Recognizing a history of exploitation in the wine industry, an increasing number of wine producers are seeking out certifications that demonstrate their commitment to social sustainability, reports The New York Times.

The certifications come from wine-oriented organizations including Napa Green in California and Haute Valeur Environnementale in France as well as industry-wide nonprofits. Desirable certifications include the Regenerative Organic certification, which has a social fairness requirement, and the B Corp certification, which ensures a business meets high standards for environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, according to the B Corp website.

Domaines Barons de Rothschild is among the most recent winery of the over 100 worldwide to have received the B Corp certification. The parent company of Château Lafite Rothschild has estates throughout South America, China, and Europe.

“When nature is the core of the product you produce, you have to have extremely strong convictions,” said Saskia de Rothschild, who succeeded her father, Éric de Rothschild, as chairman of the domaines and CEO of Lafite. “How can we put that at the core of what we are doing? B Corp seemed the most complete and exhaustive commitment to our environmental and social goals. We did it for all of our estates.” Full Story (Subscription Required)