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Turning water into wine: Exploring water security perceptions and adaptation behaviour amongst conventional, organic and biodynamic grape growers

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  • Wheeler, Sarah Ann
  • Marning, Angelika

Abstract

Australian irrigators regularly experience drought conditions, placing water security as a critical issue facing agriculture, especially for permanent plantings such as grapes. This study explores irrigators’ water security perceptions and their water management adaptation behaviour using in-depth interviews and surveys with 37 conventional, organic and biodynamic grape growers in South Australia. Conventional growers’ water adaptation behaviour was primarily reliant on activities external to the vineyard (e.g. upgrading irrigation infrastructure); whereas alternative (i.e. certified organic/biodynamic) growers’ water security actions were based largely on internal vineyard activities (e.g. agro-ecological methods). Conventional growers often named governance and district physical capital as influencing their adaptive capacity to water scarcity, while alternative growers focussed more on the role of human, social, and farm soil and land capital in influencing their farm adaptive capacity. Two-thirds of surveyed alternative growers converted away from conventional production at the end of the Millennium Drought, naming water security issues as their main reason. Overall alternative growers perceived higher water security and less water vulnerability due to higher soil water retention. Findings suggest a need for current Murray-Darling Basin water policy to seriously reconsider the approach of primarily investing money in irrigation infrastructure to save water and to focus more on agro-ecological methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Marning, Angelika, 2019. "Turning water into wine: Exploring water security perceptions and adaptation behaviour amongst conventional, organic and biodynamic grape growers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 528-537.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:82:y:2019:i:c:p:528-537
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.12.034
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Céline Nauges & Sarah Ann Wheeler & Alec Zuo, 2016. "Elicitation of irrigators' risk preferences from observed behaviour," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 60(3), pages 442-458, July.
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    1. Mannaf, Maksuda & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Zuo, Alec, 2023. "Global and Local Spatial Spill-Overs: What Matters Most for the Diffusion of Organic Agriculture in Australia?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    2. Sahar Daghagh Yazd & Sarah Ann Wheeler & Alec Zuo, 2019. "Exploring the Drivers of Irrigator Mental Health in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Graveline, Nina & Grémont, Marine, 2021. "The role of perceptions, goals and characteristics of wine growers on irrigation adoption in the context of climate change," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    4. Guy M. Robinson & Bingjie Song, 2023. "Managing Water for Environmental Provision and Horticultural Production in South Australia’s Riverland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Tianyu Qin & Lan Wang & Jianshe Zhao & Gaifang Zhou & Caihong Li & Liyue Guo & Gaoming Jiang, 2022. "Effects of Straw Mulching Thickness on the Soil Health in a Temperate Organic Vineyard," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Daghagh Yazd, Sahar & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Zuo, Alec, 2020. "Understanding the impacts of water scarcity and socio-economic demographics on farmer mental health in the Murray-Darling Basin," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

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