Climate Talks by Porto Protocol

The water footprint (WF) of a product is an indicator of the consumptive use of water resources along its life cycle. Water scarcity is recognized to be a major global challenge. As such, the evaluation of the WF of agro-industrial products is key, as they are widely known as having a significant footprint on water resources.

The global average water footprint of grapes is 610 liter/kg. One kilogram of grapes results in 0.7 liter of wine, so the water footprint of wine is APPROXIMATELY 870 liters of water per liter of wine. This means that one glass of wine (125 ml) costs 110 liters (according to the Water Footprint Network). Even knowing that the vine has a capacity for survival and resilience to austere climates, as we speak, the increased production of grapes and wine, combined with droughts and climate change, mean that now, more than ever, water needs to be used efficiently. Therefore, there is the need to understand where and how can we improve water management in the wine life cycle, reduce it or even eliminate it.

This Climate Talk will address this issue and will try to identify the major challenges on the use of water throughout the grape and wine production in this warming climate. In this conversation, we will analyze the importance of efficient use of water and explore the best technologies and practices available both on the field and on the wineries. To do so, we will count with different guests from around the world. They will approach all three components of the WF: green, blue and grey, from dry farming to use of rainwater and reuse of treated wastewater.

Host:

LINDA JOHNSON-BELL . UK

Guests:

Carbon dioxide is a heat trapping gas produced both in nature and human activities. It plays a significant role in global warning. Reality as we speak requires a real and urgent need to begin a long, unprecedented and sustained effort to “de-carbonize” the atmosphere, so becoming carbon neutral is not enough anymore. To do this, carbon-negative actions, systems, and industries are required. Carbon sequestration can have an important role in preventing carbon dioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere, and reducing the human “carbon footprint.” We can categorize 3 types of Carbon Sequestration: Biological (storage of carbon dioxide in vegetation, in soils and ocean), Geological (storing carbon dioxide in underground geologic formations, or rocks) and technological (remove and store carbon from the atmosphere using innovative technologies). So how can wine production contribute to carbon sequestration? To explore this answer, it is fundamental to considerer, when evaluating the carbon cycle, all sources of emissions and all of the sequestration potential.

In this Climate Talk we will look at the carbon cycle in wine production, and the challenges of carbon sequestration across all stages and processes. We will bring different perspectives and practices of carbon sequestration: how the soil works as a natural carbon sink, passing into the technology available for the capture and storage of the carbon released in the fermentation, to the role the cork stopper can take in offsetting carbon footprint of the wine packaging. Would these solutions represent an opportunity for farmers to explore the carbon market? All these topics, among others, will be addressed in this conversation that brings together players from different geographies, expertise and profiles.

Host

Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira . Portugal . Partner NBI – Natural Business Intelligence

Guests

CARLOS DE JESUS . Portugal . Marketing and Communication Director at AMORIM CORK

This Climate Talk will bring together wine makers across various wine regions in the world, that will share how they are using technology and nature to adapt and mitigate climate change across the various stages of the wine value chain.

Host

JAMIE GOODE – Wine Journalist . UK 

Guests:

SIMON GRIER – Villiera Wines . South Africa

COREY BECK – Coppola Winery .  USA

FERNANDO BUSCEMA – Catena Zapata . Argentina

This Climate Talk will bring together wine makers across various wine regions in the world, that will share how they are using technology and nature to adapt and mitigate climate change across the various stages of the wine value chain.

Host:

David Guimaraens . The Fladgate Partnership . Portugal

This Climate Talk will touch on the element that contributes the most to the carbon footprint of wine and yet one of the less discussed and/or intervened by companies: Packaging. We’ll have a roundtable with various players on the matter discussing what is happening in the industry to address the weight of this elephant in the room.