Adnkronos Rome, 13 Nov. – (Adnkronos) – The Italian wine industry boasts a heritage of producers, native vines and territories that are unique in the world: over 240 thousand grape-growing companies, 30 thousand wine-making companies, more than 500 wines with PDO and PGI designations. Without neglecting the biodiversity of vines: the 10 most cultivated account for less than 40% of the national vineyard surface area, compared to 70% in France and 80% in Australia. Furthermore, with a total turnover of 16 billion euros, the sector represents an indisputable strong point for the Country System.
In this context, Nomisma Wine Monitor – Nomisma's Observatory dedicated to the wine market – in collaboration with Fivi – the Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers – has conducted a survey on the producers associated with Fivi, highlighting the implications of a socio-economic model linked to this type of business, whose externalities represent a value not only for the Italian wine supply chain, but for the entire country. What is the identikit of this model? Just over 10 hectares of vineyard is the average surface area cultivated by the over 1.700 producers associated with Fivi, 75 tons of self-produced grapes for an average production of 38 thousand bottles sold each year: in other words, a totally integrated supply chain, from the vineyard to the cellar, up to the marketing of their wines.
“81% of the vineyards cultivated by these producers are located in the hills and mountains, compared to the 60% of the Italian average, that is to say in those internal areas increasingly subject to depopulation and hydrogeological risk. Areas where, moreover, wine grapes represent one of the few agricultural productions still able to provide income to those who grow them”, underlines Denis Pantini, head of Nomisma Wine Monitor. Suffice it to say that, although cereals represent the most widespread cultivation in the Italian hilly and mountainous areas, the value of production obtained per hectare is less than 30% of that obtained from wine grapes. “Without forgetting that in this business model, viticulture also has positive implications on a social level, given that 30% of workers are employed on a permanent basis (compared to the 10% Italian average in agriculture), 28% are of foreign origin (compared to the 19% Italian average) and 33% are women, compared to the 26% average in Italian agriculture”.
Even from an economic point of view, the 'Fivi model' expresses important values, not so much in absolute terms as in unitary terms. Suffice it to say that the average price per bottle of wine sold by Fivi producers is more than double the Italian average (7,7 euros against 3,6). From the survey conducted by Nomisma, it emerges that, although Italy represents the market of choice for Fivi producers (and Horeca the main channel), foreign countries are certainly not disdained by Italian 'vignerons': 71% export while another 23% intend to do so in the coming years. And if the United States today represents the main foreign outlet market, soon other non-EU markets will also become increasingly strategic, particularly in the Asian area.
But the difficulties are not few and to overcome them resources are needed. An important support could come from the Ocm funds: unfortunately, due to the restrictions and bureaucratic constraints that discourage access by small companies, only 14% of Fivi members have been able to benefit from the funds earmarked for promotion in the last two years.
The research also features a focus on sustainability: in light of the geographical location in which Fivi producers are located, the topic of sustainability takes on at least a double meaning. And also in this case the results that emerged from the survey carried out by Nomisma give an account of a business model that is attentive to both environmental and social sustainability. Specifically, in the last two years 71% of the companies interviewed have implemented actions aimed at environmental sustainability (from the use of sustainable packaging to the containment of water consumption and emissions) while another 24% will do so in the next two. 1 in 2 companies, however, produces wines organically and 20% are certified sustainable. Overall, for Independent Winemakers, sustainability represents first and foremost a duty and a responsibility, even before being a cost to bear.
Sustainability also in economic terms. A lever for economic development and integration used by Fivi producers is wine tourism: over 80% of associated companies offer services for wine tourists, in particular guided tours with tastings. Also in this case, the 'Fivi model' offers a particularly useful contribution to the socio-economic stability of rural areas, given that the revenues from wine tourism services account for 23% of the overall turnover of the 'vignerons' (against a national average of 18%), thus highlighting a differentiation of activities capable of further enhancing the wine production of internal areas. Furthermore, 46% of the tourists who annually visit these companies are of foreign origin, another development factor that, if strengthened and further enhanced, can contribute to the reduction of that overtourism that in recent years has been bringing negative effects on the social balance of Italian cities.
In conclusion, the socio-economic model of Independent Winemakers offers an important contribution to the maintenance and enhancement of wine and the wine territories of the Bel Paese. However, the challenges that the producers themselves face are many and complicated and, if not adequately addressed, risk putting the effectiveness of this model at risk. In this regard, for almost 1 in 2 FIVI producers, cost management and the efficiency of the company organization (severely tested by climate change and the difficulty of finding labor) represent the most difficult challenges to overcome, as do the evolution of consumption and the increase in competition, in particular of those cheaper wines (often also of lower quality) that in times of negative economic conditions, such as the current one, risk penalizing quality products.
"We had been feeling the need to take a clearer and sharper picture of our membership base for some time, and thanks to the collaboration with Nomisma we succeeded in our intent - explains Lorenzo Cesconi, winemaker and President of Fivi - Thanks to the data provided by our members and the valuable analysis carried out by Nomisma, we have gathered important confirmations, interesting news and worrying warning signals. The confirmation concerns the role of winemakers in the Italian wine supply chain: medium-small sized companies, often family-run, rooted in the territory and capable of creating value and positive externalities where they operate; committed not only to the production of quality wine, but to the protection of the territory and the conservation of the Italian rural landscape".
The novelty "is linked to the percentage of permanent workers present in the associated companies: in historical times of great job insecurity and in a sector inevitably characterized by seasonality, it is interesting to read that 30% of workers have stable contracts; it means that deep professional bonds are often created in the company, which enhance skills and are based on trust and respect. There is no lack of concerns, because a research of this kind obviously cannot fail to capture critical elements and tensions, and in this sense we cannot turn a blind eye to the high percentage of Winemakers who have set as their first challenge for the future that of profitability, in the face of a continuous increase in costs".
Alarm bell: "the resilience of vertical wineries cannot be taken for granted and is not infinite, but requires internal and external conditions that are not always present - underlines Cesconi - Production financing models, ecological transition, generational changes, are enormous challenges that we also as a Federation have the duty to study in depth. We ask politicians, in Europe and in Italy, for simplification, bureaucratic streamlining, regulatory innovation in favor of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and above all a clear strategy in wine policy, which must increasingly be oriented towards production sustainability, quality and not quantity, the creation of value. We hope that now, even in the face of these numbers, attention will increase towards this fundamental segment of the Italian wine supply chain".
“Congratulations for this in-depth work that photographs the reality of Italian Independent Winemakers – says Matilde Poggi, president of Cevi (European Confederation of Independent Winemakers) – I see in this research many useful ideas to formulate requests to bring to the European institutions, first of all the need to make accessible to all winemakers, even the smallest, every support measure, such as aid for the promotion of third countries; we have seen from this study how the small companies that Fivi represents do not have access to this measure, despite having a good propensity for export. We have understood from the designated Commissioner Hansen the need for the sector to commit to sustainability: the Independent Winemakers companies are in line with the requests but a simplification is also needed in the certification system, which is often too onerous for companies of this size”.
