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Multi-criteria assessment of socioeconomic and environmental performance of wine-growing systems and agroecological transition scenarios

Aouadi N, Macary F, Alonso Ugaglia A (2020)

Abstract

The major challenge for agriculture today is to reduce the pesticide use while maintaining a satisfactory level of yield, quality and profitability. As part of a research project, we studied the use of pesticides in the wine region of Bordeaux. We evaluated the performance of existing viticultural systems and proposed scenarios for changing practices to reduce the reliance on pesticides. We surveyed 39 winegrowers adopting different crop practices.

We evaluated the systems using multi-criteria decision aid methods: ELECTRE Tri-C and ELECTRE III. We selected seven criteria of evaluation for socioeconomic performance (economic profitability, workload, and complexity of the system) and environmental performance (pesticide pressure, ecotoxicity of pesticides, agro-ecological practices, pesticide drift). We built three scenarios for changing practices including the best practices identified in the field: the first one optimizes conventional practices (Maximized-conventional system); the two others adopt an agroecological approach: Agroecological system (with optimized use of synthetic chemicals) and Agroecology-organic system (without synthetic chemicals). ELECTRE Tri-C sorted the existing systems and the three scenarios into one of the four pre-defined categories of performance. Then ELECTRE III classified them in each category. Organic systems as well as agroecological scenarios were assigned into high-level performances.

This result can be explained by the high level of profitability and the low level of pesticide pressure in these systems associated to practices that enhance biodiversity in the vineyard. These results, based on realistic approaches, are adaptable models for conventional agriculture.

Cahiers Agricultures, 29, 19, DOI: 10.1051/cagri/2020016