Analysis of the propensity to sustainability of wineries: a case study in Veneto

Winegrape growers are under increased pressure to adapt their production processes to the principles of sustainability. In order to promote the diffusion of sustainable practices in viticulture, it is worth investigating the factors that facilitate or hinder their adoption. With this objective in mind, a survey was carried out on the members of a Venetian cooperative. Data was collected from 1,187 questionnaires regarding vineyard management techniques (conventional, integrated, organic and biodynamic), structural characteristics of the companies, and the perception of the farmers on the benefits and problems associated with the highly sustainable vineyard management (in the case of integrated, biological or biodynamic farming). The data was subjected to both descriptive analysis and statistical analysis to understand the determinants that favour the adoption of highly sustainable practices as well as those that hinder it. The selected sample of winegrowers was divided into groups based on their viticultural practices as follows: conventional, 83%; integrated, 16.4%; biological and biodynamic, 0.6%. The study identifies production costs, organization of processes and structural and demographic elements as important factors influencing the choice of the adoption more sustainable practices. The following factors, instead, were found to be factors that hinder the adoption of sustainable practices: bureaucratic difficulties; management complexity; reduction and variability of income, uncertainty and lack of adequate training. From a structural and demographic point of view, small company size and increased age emerge as factors that hinder the adoption of a highly sustainable conduct. Preliminary results obtained suggest that policies regarding sustainability at a regional level and/or implemented by inter-professional organizations of wine grape growers should be based on education and training while developing organizational models with minimum bureaucratic burden and be based on cost containment and price premiums in the market for those adopting sustainable practices.