Agroecology in wine production: Assessing the environmental, productive and social sustainability pillars of conventional, organic and biodynamic vineyard management through the AESIS framework

Problem Statement. In the wine sector, sustainability and producing a genuine product have long been priorities, with organic and agroecological practices becoming widespread. However, sustainability assessments often rely on tools like life cycle assessments (LCA), carbon footprints and water footprints, which overlook certain ecological and socio-economic factors and fail to effectively communicate sustainability performance. Tools such as SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems), TAPE (Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation) and OASIS (Original Agroecological Survey Indicator System) offer comprehensive evaluations of agri-food systems, considering environmental, productive and social dimensions. The SWAT (Sustainable Wine Assessment Tool) framework, developed for the wine industry, includes socio-cultural, governance and environmental indicators for sustainability assessment. Approach and Methods. This article applies the Agro-Environmental Sustainability Information System (AESIS) framework to two wineries, assessing multiple dimensions of agroecosystems (physical, ecological, productive and social). AESIS uses indicators aligned with the principles of the aforementioned tools to evaluate two case studies in Tuscany and Lombardy, Italy. The Tuscany case study, Tenuta Casadei, employs the organic and biodynamic-based BioIntegrale (BIOINT) method, while Castello di Cigognola in Lombardy uses conventional farming (CONV) and organic farming with precision techniques (ORGP). Results. The assessment used agro-environmental indicators based on a conceptual sustainability framework, comparing CONV, ORGP and BIOINT against sustainability thresholds or critical limits for each indicator. Results showed a sustainability gradient: CONV < ORGP < BIOINT. BIOINT achieved 92% compliance with thresholds, ORGP 87% and CONV only 47%. Practical Implication. Despite differences, both case studies could benefit from agroecological interventions: improving ecological and social sustainability at Castello di Cigognola, and enhancing the physical dimension at Tenuta Casadei. AESIS provided valuable insights into the sustainability of both farms, offering multiple entry points for farmers to improve sustainability across various dimensions.