Organic Viticulture in Italy: a Recent History

Organic farming is defined as a cultivation method aimed at producing food using natural substances and processes, thereby minimizing environmental impact. In the early 1990s, European institutions addressed the issue of sustainability by implementing the regulation of organic agricultural production. The Italian wine sector has also benefited from regulations promoting organic practices, initially through the application of general laws valid for all product categories, then with specific regulations on viticulture and winemaking. Since the introduction of organic wine production regulations in 2012, organic viticulture has expanded in Italy. Basing on the analysis of data on organic production, this study aims to reconstruct the development of organic viticulture in Italy from the 1990s to 2023. After reviewing the existing literature on organic viticulture, the paper will trace the history of organic production in the country, assessing the impact of regulations on the sector's evolution.