Santa Rosa, Calif.—Sonoma County Winegrowers announced that the Fish Friendly Farming (FFF) certification program is now an accepted option to participate in the winegrower's project to become the nation’s first wine region that is 100% certified sustainable by 2019.

According to a statement released by the group, the addition of Fish Friendly Farming is the result of a year and half of collaboration between the two organizations to adjust the FFF sustainability program to meet the requirements of Sonoma County’s sustainability program. 
 
Sonoma County’s program takes a "triple bottom-line approach" that focuses on people, planet, profit, as well as an annual audit and third party certification. To meet this criteria, FFF expanded its environmental focus with new best practices addressing the social equity and business aspects of sustainability. In addition, the group now requires an annual audit. FFF will now require all their members, including those outside of Sonoma County, to comply with these new standards in order to remain certified with FFF.

Sonoma County’s grape growers can now pursue certification through California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Lodi Rules, SIP (Sustainability in Practice) and now FFF.
 
“It was critically important to Fish Friendly Farming that we be a key component in the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ sustainable offerings,” said Laurel Marcus, FFF's executive director. 

So far the growers’ group reports 37,392 vineyard acres (64%) of Sonoma County’s 58,280 vineyard acres have been sustainably self-assessed and 27,761 vineyard acres (48%) have been certified sustainable by a third party audit. Nearly 500 Sonoma County Sustainable signs have been distributed and are displayed in vineyards across the county.