The Italian wine supply chain has performed well in recent decades both in terms of profitability and success on the domestic and international markets. This is despite the fact that it is fragmented in terms of products, prices and consumption context, and, in particular, despite the fact that it is characterised by an organisation that hinders the full exploitation of economies of scale. This paradox has not been investigated in literature. We propose several elements in support of the hypothesis that the Italian wine sector’s success is linked to favourable elements of the Porter Diamond Model (5 out of 6) but also to the “district” nature of a large part of the sector. The presence of numerous networks, some of which are formal and others informal, gives most Italian local production systems specialising in grapes and wine the characteristics of industrial districts, due to the local social capital that is stratified there. These networks include operators such as Cooperatives and Consorzi di Tutela, upstream and downstream industries and services, tourism, research and educational bodies. Such networks can overcome the weakness represented by the low concentration and small average size of the operators. To support this hypothesis, we analyse the historical evolution of the sector and its drivers, the structural features of the different phases of the wine chain (grape growing, winemaking, bottling and distribution), the market relationships within the chain and the national and European policies favouring the sector. This analysis also underlines the differences between the Italian sector and its competitors from the Old and New World.

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and with it the EU wine policy, is experiencing a reform process, started in 2018, in order to address ambitious environmental and social objectives, in conjunction with the goal of a competitive agricultural sector.Given the role of the EU in wine supply, the aim of this paper is to present the design, the rationale and the potential effect of the proposed reform with specific reference to wine sector. To better understand the forthcoming process, it is firstly presented how CAP and its wine policy evolved in terms of objectives and tools over time.The EU wine policy is a paradigmatic example of a combination between the horizontal measures, valid for all agricultural sectors, and vertical measures, peculiarly encompassing the whole wine supply chain. The reform proposal confirms, with some interesting modifications, the set of tools already operating in the sector; however, it calls for a planning of the implementation of the available tools for all products in a unitary frame represented by a national CAP Strategic Plan, applying a lean administrative procedure.In the hypothesis that the COVID-19 outbreak will not cause a radical change in the global agri-food system, the proposed planning process should stimulate shared strategies. These are intended to effectively coordinate, according to the principle of complementarity, the implementation of available policy tools, in order to obtain a better use of resources and a more balanced achievement of all policy objectives.

The present study aims to make a contribution to the analysis of costs and benefits of adopting sustainable practices. The paper reports the results of an exploratory study into wineries’ perceived mix of economic costs and benefits and environmental benefits provided by participating in the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing scheme. A total of 14 wineries, representing more than 50% of the entire wine production of California certified wine (and 25% of all certified wineries), participated in the study. Based on the information detected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with winery managers and owners, performing a descriptive analysis and a logit model, we reveal that overall economic benefits, resulting from the sustainable practices introduced by the certification scheme, outweigh the additional costs. In particular, older wineries (>15 years) and those located in Sonoma Valley or onmultiple sites are more keen to assign a positive economic viability tosustainable practices. Furthermore, sustainable vineyard practices are highly rated by respondents in terms of both perceived environmental and economic benefits. Outcomes should foster similar studies exploring other specific sustainability programs and certification schemes, and eventually encourage cross-cultural investigations.

Purpose: This paper bridges the gap between theory and practice in the application of the Income Stabilisation Tool (IST). With an application to the dairy sector, the purpose of this paper is to propose methodology for the quantification of reference income when farm structural change occurs and estimate the role of farm attributes on the probability of income loss, offering an ex ante evaluation of farm resilience to risk. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a balanced Farm Accountancy Network farm-level panel ranging from 2008 to 2014, three hypotheses of reference income calculation are tested to assess whether farms structural changes over the years significantly affect the level of IST indemnification. The role of farm characteristics on the probability of an income reduction is then evaluated by estimating a multinomial logit model. Findings: Results show that farms’ structural changes significantly affect IST indemnities and need to be considered in calculating the reference income. The estimated model suggests that farm characteristics significantly affect the probability of a severe income drop and hence risk resilience. Extensive livestock systems seem to reduce the probability of an income drop, while farms in upland areas managed by young farmers seem to experience increased risk exposure. Originality/value: The research provides one of the first attempts to define risk profile of dairy farms by modelling the probability of an income reduction on observable attributes. Indeed, among different sectors, dairy farms emerge as the main candidates for the application of the IST.

On January 1, 2023, a “reformed” Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will come into force, which is innovative by nature in structural terms, and focused on environmental and social sustainability issues, aimed at a comprehensive digitization-based modernization of the agri-food sector. The new CAP keeps the current structure based on expenditure and regulatory measures, but includes a new planning tool, the national CAP Strategic Plan, a new CAP management model, and the new delivery model (NDM). Concerning EU wine policy, the new regulations foresee a number of specific amendments to existing rules, including changes that will apply to financial support for the wine sector with a reduced budget and to the regulatory measures. Among the latter, the most globally impacting are labelling rules, which require more information to consumers and allow the use of an e-label, the use of hybrid grape varieties for the production of appellation wines, and the inclusion among CAP regulated products of partially or totally de-alcoholised wines.

This article explores the issues surrounding the agroecological transition in the European wine industry, focusing on reducing pesticide use, developing organic certification and using genetic research in relation to resistant grape varieties. The study distinguishes between stakeholders from the wine industry, institutions and the agricultural research sector. The findings consistently identify the agroecological transition as a priority, particularly in terms of pesticide reduction. However, variations exist in the views of the surveyed stakeholders. French and Portuguese stakeholders emphasise the role of market and societal pressures as drivers of the transition, while Italian producers do not. Professionals in France and Portugal express doubts about achieving pesticide reduction through changes in practices, while others stress the importance of regulatory constraints. The research also highlights industry challenges such as decreased consumption due to health awareness and the need for social responsibility. Resistant grape varieties are seen as a viable solution, especially for the development of organic production, but market acceptability remains a significant hurdle. The study sheds light on stakeholder perspectives and challenges, thus contributing to a better understanding of priorities in the European wine industry’s pursuit of sustainable practices.