Vineyard network for the co-creation and expansion of agroecological strategies to face the challenges of viticulture: a basis for living labs cross-border
- Project start: 05/15/2025
- End of project: 05/14/2028
- Principal researcher: Lur Epelde
- Financing: European Union (financed through AEI)
- Program: Agroecology partnership
- Call: Fostering agroecology at farm and landscape levels
- Reference: PCI2025-163141
- Acronym: VinAE
- Total budget: €1,474,000
- Percentage financed: 72%
- Partners: Higher Council for Scientific Research – Biological Mission of Galicia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Université de Montpellier, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e Analysis of the Agricultural Economy, National Research Council, GAP Agricultural Research Institute, Association for the Development of Viticulture in the Duriense Region, Leive Ecookega, Souto de Lobios S.L.
General objective:
The general objective of VinAE is to expand agroecological practices to improve the resilience of viticultural agroecosystems in emblematic vineyard regions, within four environmental zones (LUS4, MDN3, MDN7, and ANA) in five countries: Spain (Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, and Rioja), Portugal (Douro), France (Gaillac), Italy (Tuscany), and Turkey (Anatolia).
Specific objectives:
- Compile the acquired knowledge on agroecological practices in iconic winegrowing regions and collaboratively identify gaps in understanding the benefits and tradeoffs of these practices;
- Capitalize on information gathered from the network and the literature to integrate it with other biotechnological tools for the design and implementation of adapted and improved agroecological strategies in vineyards in real-life settings; and
- Co-design and implement, considering the identified knowledge gaps, a comprehensive evaluation program that includes agronomic, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects to demonstrate the benefits of agroecological practices and develop strategies to promote their expansion.
Outcomes:
The main expected impacts are:
- Identify, test, disseminate, and improve the implementation of agroecological (AE) solutions, such as hydrogels, biofumigants, bioinoculants, allelopathy-based weed control, or groundcovers with selected species, as well as agronomic management strategies to address specific problems in vineyards located in a wide range of environmental zones, and gather information on the benefits and trade-offs of other agroecological practices used by the winegrowers contacted within the framework of the project. Thanks to the network established in five countries with different climate regimes and soil types, the project will gather valuable information to improve implementation results and provide solutions to specific challenges arising at the local level, derived from the soil, climate, territorial, and/or socioeconomic conditions of each territory. The transnational network will also allow for broad dissemination of the improvements achieved.
- Identify socioeconomic barriers to the implementation of EA practices in the wine sector of the five countries involved in the proposal and formulate recommendations for overcoming them.
- Establish the foundations of a living laboratory for EA practices in vineyards, initially focused on Galicia and Northern Portugal, with future expansion to Italy and France in a second phase.
- Involve a significant number of end-users (winegrowers, consumers, agricultural advisors) in dissemination activities to promote the implementation of EA practices in vineyards.
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