The OIV hosted 21 students from Hochschule Geisenheim University. An enriching meeting, where students' questions focused on how the OIV operates and what are the new Director General's objectives for his 5-year-term.
In this sense, Pau Roca, has slightly unveiled what the future OIV strategic plan for 2020-2024 will be about, mentioning three main axes: sustainability, digitalisation and the improvement of services proposed by the OIV to its member States. Actually, digitalisation is at the centre of the new Director General’s concerns who seeks to anticipate the changes and repercussions of technologies such as block chain in the wine sector.
The promotion of a moderate wine consumption and its authenticity as a product were other aspects emphasized by Pau Roca. "In an ecosystem biodiversity must be preserved. The same goes for the multitude of small wineries in the sector. The promotion of this diversity doesn’t come only with marketing or branding. We need to focus on the cultural way of understanding wine consumption”.
Climate Change – a major concern
Nowadays, Climate Change is a major concern and was obviously an issue addressed during the meeting. Pau Roca recalled that the plantation of vines has a human oriented approach: “varieties were created by man”. Therefore, “the wine sector is very sensitive to climate change and has never been in denial regarding this problem”. In relation to this subject, the Director General will participate in the opening ceremony of the “Climate Change Leadership - Solutions for the Wine Industry”, to be held in Portugal, on 6th March 2019, where he will deepen this question. This event, under the OIV’s high patronage will provide a forum where the industry can discuss and share personal experiences and practical short and long-term solutions to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate.
The Director General of the OIV, Pau Roca, took part of the official opening ceremony where he transmitted a note of optimism: “we should look at Climate Change as an opportunity”. And why should it be an opportunity? “It will generate a new model of economy based not on growth but on sustainability. Sustainability is the new value of global economy”, stated.
“Wine is well placed to adapt to Climate Change”
In Pau Roca’s opinion “wine is well placed to adapt” and explained: “better than other sector, the wine industry has a big capacity of adaptation and has already shown its performance and resilience”.
In a sector based on a multiplicity of actors, “when wine leaders work on something it quickly expands to producers, suppliers, and small businesses”. Therefore, the OIV Director General applauded the Climate Change Leadership Conference for “being an example to transmit to the wine industry”.
It is urgent to reduce greenhouse gases
Nevertheless, “we must underline the importance of mitigation. It is necessary to create political measures in view to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases”, defended Pau Roca.
Several solutions praised by the different speakers were in this direction as well. It can be mentioned the implementation of renewable energy resources, use and reuse of rainwater, reduction of water consumption in irrigation, adoption of lighter packaging and bottles, reduction of fossil fuels. All have a common objective: reducing the emission of greenhouse gases produced by the wine industry.
The speakers were peremptory in stating that it is only collectively that efforts can have optimal results in the future, underlining that knowledge sharing and investment in research and innovation are fundamental in this evolutionary process.
More information:
Climate Change Leadership 2019 website
The President of the OIV, Regina Vanderlinde, and the Scientific Coordinator of the OIV, Jean-Claude Ruf, took part in the 31st session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) held on 11-15 March 2019 in Bordeaux, France.
During discussions on emerging and future issues, the President highlighted that several topics under discussion within the CCGP were also being dealt with within the OIV, which illustrated the need to pursue and increase collaboration between the two organisations.
Regina Vanderlinde specified that the OIV was participating in several projects that were also being discussed within the Codex, namely:
- consideration of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals,
- the issue of food fraud, and the integrity and authenticity of food products,
- consumer information, through the work of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL),
- observation of the application of standards,
- mechanisms with the aim of improving coordination with other international organisations.
The President of the OIV concluded by stating that it was necessary to pursue cooperation and coordination in relation to activities that present a common interest for the OIV and the Codex, and that it would be important for the Codex to draw upon the expertise of the OIV as a reference organisation for vitivinicultural products.
Speech by Regina Vanderlinde (in French with English subtitles)
Audio file
To attend this press conference, journalists are kindly asked to send an email with their name and their professional contact details to press@oiv.int.
Date: Thursday 11 April 2019
Time: 11:00am
Location: International Organisation of Vine and Wine, (OIV), 18 Rue d'Aguesseau, Paris 75008 - Metro station Madeleine or Concorde [see map]
Speaking from the OIV’s headquarters in Paris on 11 April, Director General Pau Roca presented information on wine production, wine consumption and international trade in 2018.
- World area under vines 7.4 mha in 2018
- Strong growth in production, which reached 292.3 mhl, an increase of 42.5 mhl since 2017
- Consumption relatively stable at 246 mhl
- World wine trade on the rise: 108 mhl traded in volume, and a 1.2% rise in value to reach 31.3bn EUR
Global State of Conditions Report
PPT Presentation [FR]
