Climate, ageing of the profession, drop in consumption: these are the challenges that the wine industry must face by 2045

The vine, here in Chusclan (Gard), at the heart of all discussions. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Climate, aging of the profession, drop in consumption: major issues.

“How to anticipate and adapt to the possible futures of the wine industry in Occitanie by 2045 ?” From this initial question, the Vinseo cluster drew up a prospective study whose conclusions were revealed during a restitution conference organized at the end of November, in the presence of the players in the wine industry.

“The entire sector is going to be turned upside down”

“The thinking goes back to the Covid era. We asked ourselves how to quickly adapt our activities to an unforeseen context” recalls Gwenal Thomas, president of Vinseo. He continues: “However, the entire wine industry is going to be turned upside down in the coming years. With global warming, changing consumer habits, the sociological context, particularly the aging population among farmers, or the problems of skilled labor. Among tractor drivers for example, or in the vine pruning teams.”

“We are also part of the chain”

These challenges identified, and based on work carried out by France Agrimer and the Institut Agro Montpellier, “we asked the question, at the level of individuals, companies, Visneo itself: what do we do if this or that happens ? We are modest, Vinseo is a cluster, an association of companies, we do not have the power and strength to make things evolve in the direction we would like. But we want to force reflection and step back, and for suppliers and service providers to be essential players in the sector. As in aeronautics, we look at the entire production chain: Airbus, like its subcontractors. We are also part of the chain, there is not only production and trading” supports the president of Venseo.

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Vinseo, “innovation engine network”

Created in 2007 under the impetus of the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, now supported by the Occitanie Region (and by the Hérault Department since 2024), Vinseo presents itself as “a cluster” (a group) with associative status, bringing together “suppliers of products and services, as well as the world of research and education, who advise and support the winegrowers and cellars of our region. region".

Objective: "To build with the players in the sector, a network driving innovation, cooperation and technical reference for vines and wine." With the ambition of “promote and develop the know-how and expertise of the wine industry”.

Which details the main battles to be fought: “Next spring-summer, we will organize a conference on the theme of “Understanding consumption”, wine and beverages that revolve around wine: premixes, alcohol-free wines, etc. It's short term, but now, we have to raise our heads.”

The environment, a major project

Another project, on the environment: “We are studying the possibility of providing our members with a tool for assessing the carbon footprint of companies, to have a real calculation of their emissions. This is a fundamental issue that we must disseminate in corporate cultures.”

Finally, the third long-term topic, “strengthen our involvement in training and the transfer of skills from suppliers to operators and producers”.

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