Consumer and regulatory response to climate change-new plant breeding techniques

Abstract

Climate change is having a significant impact on the global grape and wine sector. We are seeing earlier and more compressed vintages, more extreme weather events, and a warming of temperatures. These are all leading to management changes in both the vineyard and the winery. Overlaying these physical changes are the mega-consumer trends that are demanding more sustainable production patterns. These trends are changing consumer attitudes to many previously held beliefs. Solutions with a trend toward a sustainable and agrochemical-free agriculture and production chain are needed. Technological advances in plant genetic engineering, coupled with the sequencing of the grapevine genome, has enabled new techniques that can rapidly be used to enhance positive characters in grape vines and wine. Changing consumer attitudes have led to a number of regulators reviewing their existing food regulations for genetically modified (GM) food. The debate around the definitions for GM food and whether these are fit for purpose since the emergence of a range of new techniques for genetic modification has the potential to dramatically change the landscape for grape and wine production internationally. In this paper we explore the current regulatory developments, consumer trends and attitudes and the implications for the grape and wine sector as we seek to cope with the demands of climate change and provide a sustainable future for the planet.