Sustainable Viticulture of Italian Grapevines: Environmental Evaluation and Societal Cost Estimation Using EU Farm Accountancy Data Network Data

Abstract

Since the agriculture sector, such as Italian grapevine production, exert a pressure on the environment to some extent, this research aims to evaluate the environmental impacts and estimate the societal costs of four current grapevine production systems (i.e., vine grapes cultivated to produce common or quality wine using organic and non-organic agricultural practices), based on the Italian Farm Accountancy Network Data. For these purposes, the Life Cycle Analysis and Shadow Price techniques have been used. The results revealed that the levels of environmental impacts differed considerably between every cultivation system. Hence, the agricultural land occupation indicator induced the highest external costs, followed by climate change, terrestrial acidification, and freshwater eutrophication among the four grapevine cultivation systems. Accordingly, the assessment offers valuable insights into organic and non-organic viticulture practices to produce consistent and high-quality wine, as well as helping farmers make informed decisions that may improve environmental and societal impacts, leading to cost-effective management of their vineyards. We conclude that organic vineyard farming represents a promising sustainable viticulture production but is also important in exploring consumer perceptions and behavior towards this kind of grapevine production.