Intelligent system for diagnosing carbon footprint and climate change mitigation in the wine industry
Description
The wine sector is particularly sensitive to climate change. To combat this, it is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for which it is essential to know their origins and magnitudes. However, calculating the carbon footprint of vineyard and winery activities is complex, due to the large number and variety of emission sources. Moreover, the complexity of mitigation decision making is high, requiring not only technical, but also economic and even cultural knowledge and data.
In this context, the VID-EXPERT project has been launched, the main objective of which is to develop an intelligent system for diagnosing the carbon footprint and managing climate change mitigation in the wine sector. In other words, a tool for decision-making and monitoring.
The project methodology consists of several stages. In the first stage, a literature review was carried out in two areas: carbon footprint calculation methodology and available mitigation measures. On the one hand, the relevant variables for calculating the carbon footprint are selected and converted into questions in a questionnaire to be answered by a certain number of managers of wineries and vineyards of different typologies. Another questionnaire aims to find out about the processes involved in mitigation decision-making by companies in the sector. On the other hand, the available mitigation measures are put in relation to their effectiveness and cost-benefit ratio.
In the second stage, the data obtained are subjected to advanced statistical analysis. This will make it possible to establish a model of the process of calculating and managing the carbon footprint of wine companies. Finally, based on this model, an advanced software tool will be developed, tested and validated in several companies.
Reference: REGAGE22e00014712792
Duration: 01/2023 – 03/2025
Programme: Grants for the implementation of innovation projects of general interest by operational groups of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri), call 2022
Financing body: PNational Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, financed by the European Union – NextGenerationEU
Total budget: 599,444€
EU Co-financing: 100%
Members of the consortium
Coordinator
Videos
Descriptive video
Results video
Project updates
The VID-EXPERT project is coming to an end, having achieved the objectives set at the outset: the development of an intelligent digital tool for calculating and managing carbon footprints and mitigating climate change in the wine sector.
On February 19, members of the VID-EXPERT task force gathered at the headquarters of the Spanish Wine Federation in Madrid to hold their closing meeting, evaluate lessons learned, discuss the work to be done to continue the project, and bid farewell to this stage.
The next step is to define the operation and use of the VID-EXPERT tool, without ruling out continuing to refine it to enable its market penetration.
On February 17, a virtual workshop was held via the Zoom digital platform to demonstrate the operation and features of the VID-EXPERT tool.
During the workshop, a practical case study was carried out, and the different tabs were navigated to create a user, perform a carbon footprint calculation, obtain the results report, interpret the results, and obtain the associated recommendations for reducing emissions. In addition, users’ questions were answered.
More than 40 participants, stakeholders in the wine sector, connected to the training and have had access to use the tool.
VID-EXPERT has participated as sponsor and speaker in the X Technical Conference on Sustainability of the D.O. Uclés. The conference was held in the Monastery of Uclés and was entitled ‘Sustainability in wine: from digitalisation to carbon sequestration’. More than a hundred professionals from the wine sector attended the conference, both in person and online.
VID-EXPERT has been present at the 45th World Congress of Vine and Wine, organised by the OIV in Dijon, France. Cristina Escriche (INTERGIA) presented the paper ‘Mitigation management by wine companies: combining sustainability and profitability’.
The VID-EXPERT project was presented at the conference ‘Technology, Training and Wine: United against Climate Change’, organised by the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV) at the UNE headquarters in Madrid. There was a brief presentation of the project and a round table to talk about the VID-EXPERT tool and the innovations it brings to the sector in terms of sustainability management.
The VID-EXPERT project was present by Intergia at the PROXECO Fair, Ecological and Proximity Fair of the Campo de Belchite region. The roll-up of the project and the informative poster were hung in the Intergia stand, and the project was presented in a presentation given to the attendees.
Attendance at the 18th edition of the Enoforum fair in Zaragoza, the largest technical congress dedicated to the wine and oenology sector in Europe. Within the framework of the fair, a 50-minute presentation was given to present the latest advances of the project and the VID-EXPERT tool.
Attendance at the 44th World Congress of Vine and Wine, held by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), an international organisation dealing with the technical and scientific aspects of viticulture and winemaking, from 5 to 9 June in Jerez de la Frontera and Cadiz.
A poster of the project has been presented to publicise the line of research. It shows the context, the objectives, the members of the task force, previous work, the methodology and the expected results.
Kick-off meeting of the project at UNE headquarters in Madrid, attended by all partners.
Managing authority responsible for the implementation of EAFRD grants: Directorate-General for Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-food Training (DGDRIFA)
Body responsible for the content: Operational Group VID-EXPERT
