Abstract
As climate change creates extreme weather events, unprecedented disease and pest infestations, European farmers are challenged by these threats. Balancing sustainable and traditional practices while maintaining socio-economic stability under European Union agroregulations can be extremely difficult. An area of concern for the EU is viticulture, which is among the most climate-sensitive agricultural sectors. My study examines in what ways the EU’s regulations addressing climate-exacerbated pests and plant diseases influence the socioeconomics of different vineyard farms in Northern Italy. Three key socio-economic findings emerged from the analysis. First, top-down and research-driven management strategies can subvert local, place-based knowledge, which undermines traditional practices and creates economic uncertainty for farmers with unique terrains and cultivation methods. Second, EU subsidies and aid can provide support but also lead to unintended consequences, making them disadvantageous to certain vineyard types. Finally, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods, while beneficial for biodiversity, present barriers that negatively impact Northern Italian viticulture methods and maintenance. EU regulations can exacerbate economic inequality, erode trust in government, and cause loss of agricultural land and traditions. By identifying what types of regional viticulturists benefit and who struggle under regulations, a more balanced and inclusive approach can be explored.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Fishman, Kyley
(2025)
"Wine-rs or Losers: Assessing the Socio- Economic Impact of EU Regulations on Climate-Exacerbated Pests and Diseases in Northern Italian Viticulture,"
Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union:
Vol. 2025, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu/vol2025/iss1/7
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Global Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons