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 Ambassador was accompanied by ProChile’s Trade Commissioner for France, Ignacio Morandé, and by ProChile Adviser Camille Péron.
Participants at the meeting expressed their satisfaction at the quality of the relations established with Chile, a member of the OIV since 1952 and the first country from the southern hemisphere to join the Organisation.
During the meeting, the Ambassador highlighted the importance of his country’s wine industry, with its deep cultural roots and the positive image enjoyed by Chilean wine. With a production of 12.9 million hectolitres in 2018, Chile ranked seventh place worldwide. The Ambassador also stressed the importance of table grape production in Chile, which historically has been the world’s main exporter of table grapes.
H.E. Juan Salazar Sparks and ProChile drew attention to the significant advances driven by Chile’s international wine trade, in quality and price, as well as efforts in recent years to use native Chilean grape varieties.
Strengthening and disseminating Chile’s technical expertise for the benefit of other Member States
In this regard, participants also spoke of promoting relations with the Organisation, and of strengthening and disseminating Chile’s technical expertise for the benefit of other Member States, through the increased participation of Chilean experts in the OIV’s different commissions, sub-commissions and expert groups.
Pau Roca welcomed Chile’s role in organising the OIV’s 43rd World Congress of Vine and Wine, set to be held in Chile from 22 to 27 November 2020. The Congress will be an opportunity to showcase the successes of the vitivinicultural sector in Chile, which last hosted an OIV Congress in 1986.