For anyone in wine, talking about soil is an imperative. The more we understand what happens below ground and how it impacts everything above, the better. Not only that, but as wine is an industry that has staked its legitimacy on the idea of terroir for so long, it has a special responsibility to conserve, protect and research the soil.

ARENI was therefore proud to participate in Moët Hennessy‘s World Living Soil Forum on 1 and 2 June 2022, which explored the nature of soil and its impact on the biosphere and climate, and considered how it interacts with agriculture. 

It was a lively and important discussion, that ranged across topics such as the question of what does biodiversity loss mean for humans? What does it even mean to talk about biodiversity and genetic diversity in the soil? And what are the main issues when it comes to agriculture and water usage?

The following podcast is a recording of the plenary session “Fostering Biodiversity and Managing Water: Key Resources for Thriving Soils,” moderated by Pauline Vicard, ARENI’s co-founder and executive director. Panellists included Professor Gilles Boeuf, biologist; Stuart Orr, the Freshwater Manager at the World Wildlife Fund; Héléne Valade, the Director of Environmental Development at LVMH, and Professor Diana Harrison Wall, Director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado University. The panel took place on 1 st June 2022.