VITILIENCE: A network of 17 innovative demonstrators aimed at improving the resilience of French vineyards to climate change

Abstract

In response to climate change, the French wine industry has launched a national action plan to adapt its practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To accelerate and broaden the adoption of the various solutions identified within this plan, the project aims to establish “demonstration sites” in each wine-growing region. These sites can be farms, vineyard plots, and wineries which are working together in a network will implement combinations of innovative practices. They will also serve as venues for “Climate Tours,” welcoming target groups such as winegrowers, advisors, students, technical experts, and journalists for demonstrations and field visits. To help choose which levers to combine, preliminary work was carried out on adaptation and mitigation solutions. An inventory of viticultural and oenological practices is being compiled, assessing their costs, benefits, and environmental impacts. In addition, ongoing research seeks to identify innovative systems already adopted by winegrowers, along with two case studies from other wine-producing countries that are already experiencing the effects of extreme global warming. All these findings will be put into a knowledge hub for the French wine industry.

In addition, a working group of scientists and technical experts has been established to share methodologies, provide expertise, and analyze common features across different wine regions. Furthermore, to encourage anticipation, some demonstrators will participate to a modelling exercise in order to simulate agronomic and environmental performances of the selected levers looking ahead to 2050.

Finally, to create this link, twelve regional coordinators, each representing designated organizations, are responsible for managing the network within their respective regions. This governance, combined with strong communication and coordination supported by regional demonstrators, will facilitate the large-scale deployment of sustainable practices across the French wine sector.

References

Van Leeuwen, C., Darriet, P., Pons, A., Dubernet, M. (2016). Effet du changement climatique sur le comportement de la vigne et la qualité du vin. Revue Française d’Oenologie n°274, Janvier/Février 2016. https://www.vignevin.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Strategie-de-la-filiere-viticole-face-au-changement-climatique_web.pdf

Ollat, N., & Touzard, JM., (2013) Adaptation à long terme au changement climatique pour la viticulture et l’œnologie : un programme de recherche sur les vignobles français. Ciência e técnica vitivinicola, 2013, 28 (1), pp.288-294.

Ollat, N., & Touzard, JM., (2020). La vigne, le vin, et le changement climatique en France – Projet LACCAVE – Horizon 2050.

Ollat, N., Zito, S., Richard, Y., Aigrain, P., Brugière, F., Duchêne, E., Garcia De Cortazar-Atauri, I., Gautier, J., Giraud-Héraud, E., Hannin, H., Touzard, JM., Bois, B., (2021) La diversité des vignobles français face au changement climatique : simulations climatiques et prospective participative. Climatologie 2021, 18, 3.

Ollat N., Touzard J.-M., coord., (2024). Vigne, vin et changement climatique,éditions Quæ, Versailles, 284 p. https://www.vignevin.com/vitilience/

Naulleau A., (2021) Co-construction et évaluation de stratégies d’adaptation au changement climatique d’un vignoble méditerranéen. Sciences du Vivant (thèse). Institut Agro Montpellier ; Université de Montpellier (UM).

Acknowledgments

• The Directorate General for Education and Research (DGER)
• Dissemination and call for applications: FranceAgriMer
• The partners of VITILIENCE:
  • Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB)
  • National Cognac Board (BNIC)
  • Gironde Chamber of Agriculture (CA33)
  • Rhône Chamber of Agriculture (CA69)
  • Alsace Wine Interprofessional Committee (CIVA)
  • Champagne Wine Interprofessional Committee (CIVC)
  • Occitanie Regional Chamber of Agriculture (CRA Occitanie)
  • Corsica Island Wine Research Center (CRVI)
  • Institut Rhodanien
  • Interloire
  • National Institute for Origin and Quality (INAO)
  • National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE)
• Funding: Special Account for Agricultural and Rural Development (CASDAR)