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How Does the Wine Sector Perform and Communicate Sustainability? The Italian Case

Author

Listed:
  • Sara Bertorelli

    (Department for Sustainable Food Process (DiSTAS), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122 Piacenza, Italy)

  • Stella Gubelli

    (ALTIS Advisory SRL SB, Via San Vittore 18, 20123 Milano, Italy)

  • Valentina Bramanti

    (ALTIS Advisory SRL SB, Via San Vittore 18, 20123 Milano, Italy)

  • Ettore Capri

    (Opera Research Centre, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122 Piacenza, Italy)

  • Lucrezia Lamastra

    (Department for Sustainable Food Process (DiSTAS), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122 Piacenza, Italy)

Abstract

The wine sector represents the world-class excellence of Italian agriculture in terms of both quality and quantity and makes an important contribution to the national economy. A number of studies deal with the sustainability of the Italian wine value chain under many specific aspects; however, a general review of the sector’s sustainability performance is not available. Therefore, this study aims to offer an overall evaluation of how the Italian wine industry performs in terms of sustainability and its relevant communication to stakeholders and to identify the most and least frequently recurring sustainability practices. The analysis indicates that the Italian wine sector shows variability in both the approaches to sustainability and the sensitivity of stakeholders to this topic, resulting in the analysed companies’ sustainability performance being dispersed across a broad evaluation range and not depending on the size of the wine producer. Furthermore, materiality analysis, a key methodology in sustainability planning, is adopted by few wine producers, and the sector does not seem to effectively communicate its sustainability efforts (only 43% of the analysed companies have comprehensive communication) to promote consumers’ drinking awareness and to provide information on economic sustainability. On the positive side, 84% of companies have adopted certifications, in particular those relevant to quality and food safety, energy, and water management.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Bertorelli & Stella Gubelli & Valentina Bramanti & Ettore Capri & Lucrezia Lamastra, 2023. "How Does the Wine Sector Perform and Communicate Sustainability? The Italian Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12700-:d:1222628
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luigino Barisan & Marco Lucchetta & Cristian Bolzonella & Vasco Boatto, 2019. "How Does Carbon Footprint Create Shared Values in the Wine Industry? Empirical Evidence from Prosecco Superiore PDO’s Wine District," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-13, May.
    2. Lisa Pizzol & Gloria Luzzani & Paolo Criscione & Luca Barro & Carlo Bagnoli & Ettore Capri, 2021. "The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Wine Industry: The Case Study of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Ilaria Zambon & Andrea Colantoni & Massimo Cecchini & Enrico Maria Mosconi, 2018. "Rethinking Sustainability within the Viticulture Realities Integrating Economy, Landscape and Energy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-13, January.
    4. Francesco Visentin & Francesco Vallerani, 2018. "A Countryside to Sip: Venice Inland and the Prosecco’s Uneasy Relationship with Wine Tourism and Rural Exploitation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Cristina Santini & Alessio Cavicchi & Leonardo Casini, 2013. "Sustainability in the wine industry: key questions and research trends a," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Domenico Pessina & Lavinia Eleonora Galli & Stefano Santoro & Davide Facchinetti, 2021. "Sustainability of Machinery Traffic in Vineyard," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-10, February.
    7. Chiara Corbo & Lucrezia Lamastra & Ettore Capri, 2014. "From Environmental to Sustainability Programs: A Review of Sustainability Initiatives in the Italian Wine Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-27, April.
    8. Manuela D’Eusanio & Bianca Maria Tragnone & Luigia Petti, 2022. "From Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) to Social Organisational Life Cycle Assessment (SO-LCA): An Evaluation of the Working Conditions of an Italian Wine-Producing Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-10, July.
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