The domestication of vines started in Asia 11,000 years ago, although it was not until the 19th century that oenology was established as a scientific discipline thanks to the research of Louis Pasteur on the role of microorganisms in wine fermentation. At the present time, the progression in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies is helping to facilitate the identification of microbial dynamics during winemaking. These advancements have aided winemakers in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the role of microbiota in the fermentation process, which, in turn, is ultimately responsible for the delivery of provisioning (wine features and its production), regulating (such as carbon storage by vineyards, regulation of soil quality, and biocontrol of pests and diseases) or cultural (such as aesthetic values of vineyard landscapes, scholarly enjoyment of wine, and a sense of belonging in wine-growing regions) ecosystem services. To our knowledge, this is the first review of the state of knowledge on the role of microbiota in the delivery of ecosystem services in the wine sector, as well as the possibility of valuing them in monetary terms by operating logic chains, such as those suggested by the SEEA-EA framework. This paper concludes with a review of management practices that may enhance the value of microbiota ecosystem services and the role of smart farming in this task.
Microfinance regulation is a complex and constantly evolving topic, comprising many and very diverse issues which, moreover, are treated differently by legal systems. This paper suggests a novel comprehensive analysis structure that may serve as a benchmark to analyse different regulation frameworks for microfinance, based on the international guidelines provided by the Association of Supervisors of Banks of the Americas, the Basel Committee for Banking Supervision, and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor. This structure is then used to compare and relate the regulations of 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Protected areas in Latin America are typically surrounded by ranching landscapes, where large carnivores such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), co‐habit with ranchers, which potentially causes negative interactions. It is crucial, however, recognize that effective coexistence hinges on developing conservation policies that not only address these negative interactions but also embrace the diversity of the landowners' perspectives, aligning with the preferences of communities to prevent conservation conflicts. In this study, we conducted discrete choice experiments (DCE) with 196 ranchers in five localities in the Calakmul region to assess their preferences about four key attributes related to jaguar conservation: percentage of forests, livestock management practices, the number of desired jaguars and the willingness to invest in measures that promote coexistence between livestock and jaguars. Our research reveals that ranchers' preferences are diverse. Some favour increased forest cover and silvopastoral ranching, while others prefer reduced forest areas and the absence of jaguars. To address these diverse viewpoints and promote positive preferences, we must develop a comprehensive strategy considering the full spectrum of needs and preferences. Therefore, conservation incentives must be designed to address local communities' fundamental needs, such as education, healthcare, women's empowerment and cultural preservation. Participatory diagnostics involving local communities are imperative to accurately identify these needs. The observed heterogeneity of preferences in our study emphasizes the importance of integrating these diverse perspectives into conservation policies for a more balanced and equitable distribution of resources. Our findings demonstrate the value of DCEs in providing valuable information for developing more effective and socially acceptable jaguar conservation policies that consider diverse perspectives and the people's characteristics in our sample population. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.