ROHNERT PARK >> Assemblymember Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) united their respective Select Committees on Wine for a joint hearing on Tuesday to review major issues impacting California’s wine industry.
Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute hosted the hearing, and the committee members heard from a panel of top industry experts who discussed impacts of the drought, sustainability innovations, and farmworker housing.
“It’s critical that the state supports efforts that help address critical issues such as improving water use and sustainability, as well as farm worker housing,” said Dodd. “The testimony we heard today provided important insight into how the state can work collaboratively with stakeholders to find solutions to our challenges.”
A significant topic of conversation centered on affordable farm worker housing in the wine industry. Over the past decade, the demand for hired farm workers has increased while the supply of employer-provided housing for these farm workers has declined. The committees heard from Larry Florin, Director of Housing & Intergovernmental Affairs for Napa County, who touted their partnership between the local vineyard owners as a model that the state should support and foster.
“Today’s hearing was an opportunity to hear from vintners and other experts about some of the most pressing issues facing California’s wine industry, which provides over 300,000 jobs in California and contributes billions of dollars to our state’s economy,” said Senator Lois Wolk, Chair of the Senate’s Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry. “How will this industry continue to thrive in the face of our state’s ongoing drought? How can we provide more affordable housing for the industry’s farmworkers and their families? I look forward to working with the state’s vintners and other stakeholders to address these issues and the other significant issues discussed today.”
Focusing on the drought, the committees learned how the industry is taking a proactive approach to implementing sustainable practices that can dramatically save water. By identifying best practices, the state can better support and advance sustainability in viticulture and ultimately improve California agriculture on the whole. Representatives from Sonoma State University and UC Davis also spoke about advancing the future of the wine industry by providing top quality education to California’s next generation of wine makers.
