Notes on wine growing and the Circular Economy in the context of intensifying climate change

Abstract

This article addresses the Circular Economy within the scope of wine growing from an interdisciplinary perspective. Conceiving wine as a cultural, social, and economic item resulting from progressively elaborate techniques, the text highlights the transformation of wine into a product of big business. Wine’s dependence on environmental factors, and association with various negative environmental impacts, particularly the increasing production of waste are discussed. The article presents how the need to control these impacts is growing in various contexts, mainly because of the intensification of climate change. It also examines how the notion of circular economy has become a guiding axis for the reconfiguration of this field, both in terms of mitigating its impacts and exploring other potentials related to wine production. Focusing on the Brazilian context, it presents the peculiarities of local grape and wine production and the advancement of research based on the management of solid waste. In parallel, it points to obstacles that arise in the implementation of greater circularity in this field.