Author: Miranda García (AEIDL)
The European Federation of Origin Wines (EFOW) has recently published a study on the state of play of sustainability initiatives in the wine appellation sector. This report mapped out and analysed 158 sustainability initiatives undertaken by Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) wine groups in the five main producing European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
The objective of the research is to provide insights and recommendations on potential future approaches on sustainability, taking into account the urgency to respond to the challenges posed by climate change, among others, and the ambitious targets set by the EU’s sustainability agenda for agriculture and food production.
The study highlights how wine appellations are at the forefront of the ongoing ecological transition due to their inherent link with a given region. This means that PDOs will not be able to relocate elsewhere and, thus, have to adapt their production system to eliminate or minimise any negative impact on the environment.
Moreover, the report stresses the key role of PDO wine groups as levers of change. Due to their economic relevance, collective approach, and presence on the territory, they should be seen as strategic partners for policy-makers and other actors of the agri-food chain at the national and European level. From this perspective, PDO wine groups need to be included from now on in the design and implementation of current and future policy actions in sustainability.
The results of this study are relevant for MOVING’s project because 3 of the 23 value chains (VCs) analysed within it belong to viticulture and wine production, in particular the Trento Doc wine in Eastern Alps (Italy), the Douro wine in Maçico Central (Portugal) and the mountain wine linked to the landscape of Ayerbe/Loarre in Pyrenees (Spain).