Ecological Footprint analysis applied to the production of two Italian wines

This paper compares the Ecological Footprint of two typical Tuscan wines, one conventional and one organic, to determine which type of wine production, under which circumstances, places a greater demand for ecosystem goods and services. All inputs of the agricultural, winery and packing phases were converted into an area of biologically productive land (in global hectares) as a measure of the demand for natural capital. In order to consider the process in its entirety, wine distribution, from the production to the consumption site, was also included. The conventional production system was found to have a Footprint value almost double than the organic production, mainly due to the agricultural and packing phases. These examples suggest that viable means of reducing the Ecological Footprint of wine production could include organic procedures, a decrease in the consumption of fuels and chemicals, and an increase in the use of recycled materials in the packing phase.