“The implementing decree on the Sustainability Regulations of the wine sector will be signed by September”. Stefano Patuanelli, Minister of Agricultural Policies chooses the annual general assembly of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV) to announce the conclusion of a process that began at the end of June with the signing of the decree establishing the Wine Sustainability Committee, which will make Italy the first country in Europe to adopt a public standard for the certification of “green” wines, even with a logo on the label. From his point of view, «the biggest challenge we face is to avert the danger of the homologation of agri-food production. Implementing tools that protect the distinctiveness of our agriculture is the primary objective that we must set ourselves today, and it is the principle that we have tried to defend in the CAP ”.
The decision by UIV to launch a road map to accompany businesses goes in this direction. Four cornerstones: training for companies, market monitoring, reorientation of funds (including Psr and Ocm) for investments in environmental performance and promotion of the public logo “sustainable wines”. For the president Ernesto Abbona «sustainability is, first of all, a change of paradigm, a cultural transition that Unione Italiana Vini intends to continue to accompany and guide. This is why we have thought of a multi-year path, the fulcrum of our institutional and service activities, which allows us to work on the fundamental guidelines for the success of the project: training, monitoring and positioning, investments, promotion. A commitment that, we hope, we will share with all the protagonists of the supply chain, from the institutions to the companies themselves “.
The first stage of the road map of the association that represents 85% of Italian wine exports, the training and information paths, which will accompany the associated companies towards the achievement of sustainability objectives. This awareness work will then be accompanied by the activities of the Uiv Wine Observatory to measure the impact and share data on the performance of “sustainable wines” produced in Italy on the domestic market and in foreign markets. On the planning and investment front, Unione Italiana Vini has anticipated to the minister the request for guidelines that allow the adaptation of the current instruments of support to businesses, in particular the funds of the regional rural development plans and some measures of the CMO, towards investment measures aimed at improving environmental performance and obtaining public environmental certification. Finally, the aim is to promote the public “sustainable wine” logo. The definition of the national public standard and the logo on sustainability in wine represents the first step, which will be accompanied by effective institutional promotional campaigns that promote the sustainable wine model abroad, also to facilitate its recognition by consumers and institutions. foreigners (e.g. Scandinavian monopolies).