Abstract
In the Mediterranean region, climate change is likely to generate an increase in water demand and the deterioration of its quality. The adoption of precision viticulture and the best available techniques aiming at sustainable production, minimizing the impact on natural resources and reducing production costs, has therefore been a goal of winegrowers. In this work, the water footprint (WFP) in the wine sector was evaluated, from the vineyard to the bottle, through the implementation of a methodology based on field experiments and life cycle assessment (LCA) on two Portuguese case studies. Regarding direct water footprint, it ranged from 366 to 899 L/FU (0.75 L bottle), with green water being the most significant component, representing more than 50% of the overall water footprint. The approach used in the current study revealed that although more than 97.5% of the water footprint is associated with vineyard, the winery stage is responsible for more than 75% of the global warming potential indicator. A linear correlation between the carbon footprint and the indirect blue water footprint was also observed for both case studies. Climate change is expected to cause an earlier and prolonged water stress period, resulting in an increase of about 40% to 82% of blue WFP.
Highlights
The increasing demand for water and the pollution of freshwater resources, driven by urbanization, agriculture intensification and climate change, are the major concerns in the Mediterranean region.Climate change has a negative effect on this region and is expected to continue to have an adverse influence on the future environmental conditions [1]
This study aims at providing a useful tool for farmers, managers and decision-makers to support their decision on which management strategies should be adopted in order to improve wine chain sustainability
An integrated methodology for water footprint (WFP) was applied to Portuguese case studies highlighting the most impactful processes and strategies to overcome the challenges of climate change along this value chain
Summary
The increasing demand for water and the pollution of freshwater resources, driven by urbanization, agriculture intensification and climate change, are the major concerns in the Mediterranean region. Climate change has a negative effect on this region and is expected to continue to have an adverse influence on the future environmental conditions [1]. In Portugal, significant trends for mean seasonal precipitation have decreased substantially in all seasons, excluding winter [3], and annual temperature has increased [4], which may intensify water demands. In the South of Portugal, the thermal conditions and the water stress are causing the expansion of irrigated vineyards, representing more than 50% of the cultivated area [6].
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