The popularity of organic food and wine is not going away anytime soon.
Yet as the European viticultural debate increasingly coalesces around sustainable viticulture, a growing number of voices are starting to publicly question whether organic methods are long overdue [for] a dressing down.
Europe’s pioneer in this regard was the inimitable Dr Richard Smart, a frequent critic of the furor surrounding organic and biodynamic viticulture. He described the hype as reaching “ludicrous levels” in 2018.
“Let us not forget that organic methods still permit the use of copper in the vineyard, which is arguably the most harmful chemical input you can use in winegrowing,” says Smart. His repeated assertion that organic growers’ often liberal application of the Bordeaux mixture is hardly eco-friendly has struck a chord with several Champagne houses.
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[O]rganic methods typically result in higher C02 omissions – hardly a gold standard in environmental protection “…. [I]n general organic vineyards need more treatments with sulfur or bouillie bordelaise, which means more C02 emissions,” explains Miguel A Torres, president of Familia Torres.
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According to a report by Academics Review …. the organic industry has engaged in a “pattern of research-informed and intentionally-deceptive marketing.”
Read full, original article: Organic Wine’s Deadly Carbon Footprint
