Adaptation in Viticulture: A Case Study of Producers in the Maule Region of Chile

Abstract

Climate change may pose challenges as well as opportunities for viticulture, and much research has been devoted to assessing the impacts of climate change on quality wine grape production, focusing primarily on the capability of current wine-producing areas to ripen wine grapes under future increases in temperatures. This paper considers the human dimensions of the climate change and viticulture issue and assesses the vulnerability of grape and wine producers to climate change in the context of other stresses via a case study in the Maule Region of Chile. Through interviews, producers revealed that their key sensitivity is income, which is influenced by a variety of factors, including climate and weather, market and currency fluctuations, institutional arrangements and labour availability. Producers make adjustments in order to maintain profitability, with market forces being one of the most important drivers of their decision-making. Climate change does not appear to be a priority in the region, although some adaptation strategies may be beneficial given the projected changes in climate. The ability of producers to adapt to a changing climate is constrained by social, economic and political circumstances, including economic capital, education, institutional arrangements and organizational abilities. These circumstances need to be addressed in order for producers to effectively adapt in the future.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the people and organizations who made this work possible, including the producers who participated in the study, Fernando Santibañez, Nidia Brunel, Vinos de Chile and the Universidad de Chile. We thank Jeremy Pittman and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback, and the funds provided by the Institutional Adaptations to Climate Change project, the Arthur D. Latornell Graduate Scholarship, the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Canada Research Chairs program.