Sustainable agriculture, organic production and quality certification in the Italian wine supply chain

Since the 1960s, a new model of sustainable agriculture centred on the interrelationships between the environmental, economic and social dimensions of production gradually become established in Europe. In the Italian wine supply chain, the theme of sustainable agriculture has been translated partly into the regulation of organic production, and partly into the preservation of cultural heritage and traditional production techniques. The first European regulations on “organic farming” were issued in 1991, while in 2012 specific European regulations enshrined the first wines with the “organic” label. While the debate on organic wine production legislation was ongoing, from the early 2000s consumers began to show a growing interest in sustainable products, so much so that sustainability became a major concern for wine producers. In response to market demands, producers have progressively modified strategies for the qualitative differentiation of their products, seeking to emphasize respect for the environment during cultivation and winemaking, and employing for this purpose sustainability certifications created by specific organizations. Starting from statistical sources, agricultural yearbooks and public reports, this contribution aims to reconstruct the history of sustainable viticulture in Italy.