Agroforestry Systems in Wine Production-Mitigating Climate Change in the Mosel Region

Abstract

As Climate Change starts to show substantial impact on viticulture, winemakers are under pressure to implement sustainability transformation to maintain future production. This article deals with the effects of agroforestry system use on wine production and marketing in the German Mosel Region and reviews its challenges and benefits regarding sustainability transformation. The study is based upon qualitative interviews and field visits, researching farmers’ experiences with an agroforestry vineyard in the cool climate wine growing region and reviewing the production methods on-site. Applying Sustainability Levers Theory, the article shows that the use of agroforestry in viticulture targets deep leverage points of the food production system, enabling sustainability transformation by providing positive effects on production and marketing. The article thus concludes that there’s a potential of mitigating challenges of climate change, sustaining the wine production due to the implementation of agroforestry.