Changing Gender Diversity of the California Vineyard Labor Force and Implications for Grape Production

Abstract

Summary Issue Statement: Anecdotal evidence suggests that increasing numbers of women are working in California grape production, but there is little objective data to document this increase. To objectively assess changes in gender representation in California vineyards, we conducted a survey in Napa County. The survey assessed the numbers of men and women employed in various job roles in vineyard production (managers, field supervisors/crew leaders, specialists, permanent crew, seasonal crew) at seven time points between 2000 and 2016. Key Considerations: The number of female workers in Napa County has increased rapidly since 2013. The job category with the largest increase in female workers is seasonal crew. There were smaller increases in the numbers of women employees as permanent crew and field supervisors/crew leaders. The shift in gender diversity in the vineyard labor force may also be occurring in other regions of California. Impact and Significance: Women may be moving into the labor pool to fill vacancies caused by the decline in the number of male workers migrating to the U.S. for agricultural work. There are two key implications of this shift in gender diversity. First, the willingness of women to perform vineyard work signifies an opportunity for vineyard companies to offset the current California farm labor crisis by employing more female workers. Second, changes in vineyard team dynamics may affect daily grape production operations. An examination of factors influencing the success of vineyard teams is recommended to better understand how to integrate women and improve worker retention to promote a stable workforce.