Stakeholder perspectives on sustainable vineyard practices in Germany's Mosel region: A multicriteria assessment

This research employs a survey of relevant stakeholders to identify low-input farming practices with the potential to mitigate key agronomic and environmental challenges in the Mosel vineyard region (Germany) and enhance their sustainability. Stakeholders are concerned about the future of the Mosel winemaking region as threatened by the lack of farm generational succession and of economic sustainability, as well as suffering problems of excessive fertiliser use and biodiversity loss. Their priorities actions such as: conserving traditional landscapes, recovering traditional crops, reducing soil erosion, and increasing crop profitability. The stakeholders point at minimum tillage, soil mulching, maintenance of natural vegetation on plot edges, green manure, and pheromone control as the most adequate farming practices for the area. Using TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) multi-criteria analysis, these practices have also been ranked as the most effective for facing the identified agronomic and environmental challenges. This analysis, by combining prioritization and effectiveness, yielded even higher valuations than those directly assigned by stakeholders. This is conditioned by some stakeholders rating them low or not choosing them on the grounds of lack of effectiveness, incompatibility with current practices, lack of tradition, or the high implementation or management cost, so, the multi-criteria analysis really shows the true ranking. As we can see the typology of small family-run farms with elderly winemakers, with steep stony plots that make farming difficult and expensive, coupled with changes in the “terroir” due to climate change, compromises the survival of production. This study has highlighted that a change in mentality to modernise farms and adopt agro-ecological practices, as well as diversification with fodder and aromatic crops can offer the community an opportunity which, supported by marketing strategies, may provide an incentive to consumers.