Determinants for the viticultural systems sustainability

Abstract

The adoption of a sustainable approach has been recognized as a competitive and resilience factor for the vine and wine sector. This research aimed to address the variables that explain the sustainability of the viticultural systems practiced in the Douro Demarcated Region, in a dimensional and global perspective of sustainability. In total 110 vineyard farms were randomly selected and a matrix of sustainability indicators grouped by economic, environmental and social dimension was used. In order to analyse the main determinants of the different dimensions of sustainability, an econometric analysis was carried out considering different typologies or groups of determinants: efficiency; training system; vineyard landscaping; geographical determinants; destination of the grapes; type of work used; other determinants. Based on the estimations of eight models, an important divergence in the results was found, especially between the estimates of the models developed through the global sustainability index than the estimates of the indices disaggregated by dimension. This disparity in results indicates that the analysis of the determinants of sustainability should be carried out in a disaggregated manner (at the level of sustainability dimensions). Divergent results were also deduced depending on the dimension of sustainability. For instance, the model with the highest explanatory power concerned the economic dimension, while the efficiency determinant was not significant in the social and environmental dimensions. In light of these findings, policy measures are proposed.

Keywords

• indicators
• sustainable dimensions
• sustainability index