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This article presents the conceptual framework for assessing farm sustainability using the IDEA4 method. IDEA4 combines a dual assessment approach based on sustainable agriculture objectives and the properties of sustainable farming systems. It is rooted in the domains of strong sustainability, strong agroecology and the multifunctionality of agriculture. It takes into account the overall issues of sustainable agriculture. This conceptual framework has been used to construct 53 indicators for analysing farm sustainability using two complementary approaches. The first assesses sustainability by organising these 53 indicators according to the 3 normative dimensions of sustainable development (agroecological, socio-territorial, economic), structured into 13 components. This assessment relies on a scoring system based on 100 sustainability units for each of the 3 dimensions, which cannot offset each other. The second approach is used to assess sustainability by organising the same 53 indicators according to the 5 properties of sustainable agricultural systems (ability to produce and reproduce goods and services, autonomy, robustness, territorial embeddedness, and overall responsibility), which are arranged in a tree structure with 15 branches. Indicators are aggregated in a qualitative and hierarchical manner using the DEXi tool. The exploratory potential of the concept of the properties of sustainable systems encourages a transdisciplinary approach for assessing farms. IDEA4’s theoretical framework is now complemented by three information technology (IT) tools, which means that the method can be used to a much greater extent to support the agroecological transition.

The purpose of this paper is to determine which factors influence the willingness of Italian wine consumers to purchase and pay a premium for sustainably produced wine. Data from 522 Italian consumers were collected using an online convenience sampling method to capture their attitudes and knowledge towards sustainably produced wine. Respondent socio-demographic characteristics were analysed using descriptive statistics. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine whether the willingness to pay a premium for sustainably produced wines differs significantly based on past environmental related purchasing behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics. The main determinants of Italian consumers' purchases of sustainably produced wine are wine knowledge, age, previously having bought sustainably produced goods, previously having bought sustainably produced wine, and the price of wine. Income, education, or gender did not positively influence willingness to pay a premium value for sustainably produced wines. This study produced surprising results. Consumers in Italy are buying foods that are sustainably certified and over 60% would be willing to buy a sustainable wine, in theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En s’appuyant sur une revue de la littérature, l’article propose un état de l’art centré sur l’agroécologie, concept polysémique, afin d’en éclairer la portée pour la viticulture et son application, dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche destiné à comprendre et construire la transition agroécologique dans les vignobles. L’agroécologie est tour à tour considérée comme une discipline scientifique proposant une analyse systémique en intégrant des sciences humaines et sociales, un ensemble de pratiques intégrant les principes de l’écologie en agronomie (travailler avec la nature), ou un mouvement social. L’échelle d’analyse a progressivement été élargie depuis le niveau de la parcelle agricole vers celui des territoires, jusqu’à des approches globales du système alimentaire. La vigne est une monoculture pérenne pour laquelle les enjeux de la transition agroécologique sont particulièrement importants eu égard notamment à la forte pression des pesticides appliqués en vue de la protection phytosanitaire. Ce débat, devenu sociétal, implique une évolution des systèmes de production viticole afin de satisfaire les enjeux environnementaux et de santé publique. Pour construire et évaluer des scénarios de transition agroécologique auprès des professionnels de la filière, nous avons réalisé une revue de la littérature qui a pu mettre en évidence différentes pratiques agroécologiques dans les vignobles : préservation de la biodiversité, baisse de l’usage des pesticides par une régulation des bioagresseurs et des adventices, conservation de la qualité des sols, adaptation au changement climatique. Elle permet également de discuter des enjeux d’élargissement de l’acception du concept d’agroécologie dans le contexte actuel. Ces éléments sont essentiels à l’identification de critères d’évaluation pour la construction de scénarios d’évolution des modes conventionnels de production viticole dans le cadre de la transition écologique.

Le défi majeur du monde agricole aujourd’hui est de réduire de façon drastique l’usage des pesticides tout en maintenant un niveau de rendement, de qualité et de rentabilité satisfaisant. Dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche, nous avons étudié l’usage des produits phytosanitaires dans le Bordelais. Nous avons ensuite évalué les performances des systèmes viticoles existants afin de construire des scénarios de changement de pratiques pour réduire le recours aux pesticides, et préserver l’environnement et la santé humaine. Trente-huit viticulteurs pratiquant différents modes de conduite ont été interrogés. Les systèmes ont été évalués en utilisant deux méthodes d’analyse multicritère d’aide à la décision appartenant à la famille des méthodes ELECTRE : ELECTRE Tri-C et ELECTRE III. Sept critères d’évaluation ont été retenus, dont trois pour les performances socioéconomiques (rentabilité économique, charge de travail, complexité du système viticole) et quatre pour les performances environnementales (pression phytosanitaire, écotoxicité des pesticides, pratiques agroécologiques, niveau de la dérive des produits). Trois scénarios de changement de pratiques ont été construits en intégrant les bonnes pratiques identifiées sur le terrain : un scénario conventionnel raisonné optimisé (scénario Raisonné-Max) ; deux scénarios en démarche agroécologique : Agroécologie (avec usage optimisé de produits de synthèse) et Agroécologie-Bio (sans produits de synthèse). ELECTRE Tri-C a permis d’affecter chaque système viticole ainsi que les trois scénarios dans l’une des quatre catégories prédéfinies de performance. Puis ELECTRE III les a classés dans chaque catégorie. On note une supériorité de la performance socio-éco-environnementale des scénarios agroécologiques et des systèmes biologiques. Cela tient principalement à un niveau de valorisation de la production plus élevé dans ces systèmes et à un niveau de pression phytosanitaire plus faible lié aux pratiques plus favorables au renforcement de la biodiversité. Ces résultats axés sur des démarches concrètes et réalistes constituent des modèles adaptables à des exploitations viticoles conventionnelles.

Grapevine curettage was re-introduced in France in the early 2000s, and is important for facilitating recovery of plants from esca disease. This surgical practice involves removal of deadwood of vines with leaf symptoms, focusing on white rot generally observed at the centres of grapevine trunks. Assessment of the efficacy of this practice was initiated in the Bordeaux region in 2014. One 'Sauvignon Blanc' vineyard severely affected by esca was initially surveyed in the summer of 2014, to identify and treat vines with esca foliar symptoms. Annually thereafter, from 2014 to 2018, selected vine stocks were curetted. Two other 'Sauvignon Blanc' vineyards also displaying high levels of esca damage were added to the study in 2015 and 2016. Curettage treatments ceased in 2018, resulting in 11 trials (vineyard × year combinations). In total, 856 vines (422 curetted and 434 control vines) were then surveyed annually up to 2021, for assessments and comparisons of esca development. At each site, plants with esca symptoms recovered well after curettage: on average 85% of all curetted vines became asymptomatic the year immediately after the treatment. Six years after treatment, for curettage campaigns carried out in 2014 and 2015, more than half of the curetted vines were symptom-free, whereas <12% of the control vines were asymptomatic, and gradual loss of efficacy was observed at each site. The mean annual proportion of efficacy erosion was approx. 8% per year. This study highlights the possible short- and midterm benefits of trunk surgery to enable recovery of esca-affected vines, and for them to recover and remain leaf-asymptomatic for several years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability in production and consumption is increasing in importance in many diverse industries worldwide. The wine industry is no exception. There are many wine-related eco-certifications that incorporate sustainability concepts; however, it is unknown to what extent wine consumers value such certifications in wine-producing countries such as Chile. An online survey was conducted in which 526 Chilean wine consumers were asked about their attitudes towards and willingness to pay for sustainably produced wines. Statistical analysis was undertaken using multiple linear regression. It is notable that 76% of respondents had previously purchased eco-certified wines (fairtrade, biodynamic, organic, natural, and sustainable), and there was an evident willingness to buy eco-certified wines in the future—78% expressed a willingness to buy organic wines, and 77% sustainable wines. Furthermore, we asked how much more willing the respondents would be to pay for wines with eco-certification; 22% indicated that they would be willing to pay a premium price, ranging from USD 5 to USD 16 more, for organic wines, while 19% expressed a willingness to pay the same price premium for sustainable wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As eco-certified wines are being produced in increasing quantities and varieties, so are the definitions and the labels that accompany them. This has resulted in confusion with regard to what type of eco-certified wines customers prefer and what prices they are prepared to pay for such wines. The purpose of the research is to provide clarity regarding consumer knowledge about eco-certified wines and their preferences for each category as expressed by their willingness to pay (WTP). Specifically, the goal of the research was to identify the willingness to pay for South African eco-certified wine with a focus on three labels: biodynamic, fair trade and sustainable. The methodology used by the study was to identify the willingness to pay for the wines by using contingency valuation modelling. A survey was administered using the Qualtrics platform. It consisted of three sections: the first set of questions included questions about purchasing behaviour and important considerations when buying wine. The second set of questions collected perspectives and opinions about the multiple wine certifications discussed in this article and the third set of questions collected demographic data. The research focused on South African consumers and consisted of 267 respondents. Three WTP models were run separately for biodynamic, fair trade and sustainable wines. The study found that younger individuals with higher incomes, higher levels of education, previous eco-labelled product purchases and better knowledge of eco-certified wines have a positive impact on the WTP. The only exception seems to be the in case of biodynamic wines where previous knowledge of eco-certification has a negative effect on the WTP. The research outcomes provide guidelines to producers, retailers and restaurateurs about their output, marketing and sales efforts towards the ever-growing consumer demand for such wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wine industry has faced various environmental and social challenges. On the demand side, consumer demand for sustainable wines has been increasing but, to date, it is unknown whether consumers perceive wine companies' efforts to obtain sustainable development (SD) certifications and labels as being valuable or how they differentiate them. On the supply side, sustainable wine production is increasing but producers report a lack of information to engage and select their SD strategy. This article uses a logistic regression and an artificial neural network model to show how French consumers differentiate and value different SD labels (Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Fairtrade, Natural). Results show that consumers' willingness to buy and willingness to pay are influenced by the importance each consumer gives to the certification. For all other drivers, consumers differentiate between labels, highlighting the importance of comparison between and knowledge about each of them, thereby aiding producers in choosing an appropriate marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the multifunctionality of agroecosystems is crucial to design more sustainable farming systems. While it is known that organic farming benefits biodiversity and ecosystem services, how organic farming affects their multifunctionality, including agronomical, ecological as well as economic dimensions, remains poorly explored. In this study, we investigated how individual indicators regrouped into agroecosystem goods of vineyards respond to farming systems and landscape composition. We also explored how ecosystem services resulting from agroecosystem goods respond to farming systems and landscape composition. In addition, we evaluated trade-offs and synergies between agroecosystem goods as well as between ecosystem services for each farming systems. We quantified 14 indicators corresponding to five agroecosystem goods (biodiversity conservation, soil organic matter decomposition, pest control, wine production, margin) in 20 pairs of organic and conventional vineyards. Our study reveals that organic farming did not improve agroecosystem multifunctionality compared to conventional farming but led to lower trade-offs between agroecosystem goods. We found that organic systems increase supporting and regulating services but had lower provisioning service compared to conventional systems. Indeed, organic vineyards had multiple beneficial effects including higher pest control, lower production costs but produced less wine. Our results indicate a strong trade-off between pest control and wine production in both systems. In addition, conventional systems supported a negative trade-off between biodiversity conservation and wine production which was not the case of organic systems. Our study provides key information to further design farming systems that combine ecological, economical and agronomical performances. Further investigations are now needed to identify which combined management options maximize multiple performance of agroecosystems independently of certifications and across scales. [Display omitted] • Farming sytems were compared using fourteen indicators, five agroecosystem goods and three ecosystem services • We found similar levels of multifunctionality but organic systems showed lower trade-offs between agroecosystem goods • Organic farming favored regulating and supporting services but reduced provisioning service compared to conventional farming • Despite contrasted performance profiles, organic and conventional systems had similar economic margins [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]