Vineyard Carbon Footprint in warm-temperate humid terroirs: the case of Uruguay

Abstract

Climate change is one of the main challenges for global viticulture, and mitigation strategies involve assessing and reducing the environmental footprint. In warm-temperate humid wine-growing regions such as Uruguay, studies on the carbon footprint (CF) associated with climate variability are limited. This study provides the first systematic assessment of vineyard CF in this context, focusing on two grapevine varieties: Tannat and Albariño. The objective was to estimate the CF of the agricultural phase of wine production, disaggregating emissions by activity, comparing and analysing potential mitigation strategies across varieties, sites, and growing seasons. The analysis was based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology proposed by the ADVICLIM project, under a gate-to-gate approach, with one productive hectare of vineyard per growing season as the functional unit. A total of 18 cases were evaluated across three vineyard sites and four consecutive growing seasons (2020 to 2024). The mean CF was 1707 kg CO2 eq ha⁻¹ yr^-1 (range 1178 to 2273). Direct emissions accounted for 61 % of the total, with diesel combustion in agricultural machinery identified as the main source (50 %). The activities with the most significant contribution were pest and disease management (40 % of total emissions), followed by fertilizer and amendment application (24 %), soil management (17 %), and vineyard maintenance (12 %). At the varietal level, Tannat showed higher average emissions (+292 kg CO2 eq ha⁻¹; +19%) than Albariño, mainly due to phytosanitary management. Interannual variability reflected the influence of climate, during the dry growing season (2022-2023), emissions from phytosanitary management were reduced by 207 kg CO2 eq ha⁻¹ compared with wetter growing seasons. No differences were found between sites in terms of total emissions, although differences were found in the relative contribution of sources of emissions, particularly the impact of structural materials, with galvanized steel posts showing higher emissions than wooden posts. A benchmark was established for the region, for monitoring and sustainability certification in warm-temperate humid viticulture. Mitigation should prioritize reducing diesel demand (planning, efficient or electrified machinery, optimized on-farm transport) and lowering the frequency and duration of plant-protection interventions (decision support, improved spraying efficiency, resistant or shorter-cycle cultivars), complemented by precision nitrogen management and low-emission trellis choices. However, the exclusive focus on Carbon Footprint represents a study limitation, as potential environmental burden transfers to other impact categories were not evaluated.