What results do you expect to achieve with the project?
Through the ECOSPHEREWINES Project, we aim to contribute to a significant improvement in biodiversity within the viticultural landscapes of the Douro Demarcated Region. Our core objective is to promote best management practices for vineyard landscapes that enhance the functional biodiversity of viticultural ecosystems, enabling the optimization of ecosystem services and strengthening vineyard resilience to environmental and climatic challenges.
The planned actions are intended to generate robust scientific and technical knowledge to support more informed decision-making by winegrowers, encouraging the adoption of sustainable viticultural practices. Ultimately, the project seeks to contribute to a production model aligned with the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—while also reinforcing the climate resilience of the wine sector.
What does it mean for ADVID to lead a work package in an Interreg Sudoe project?
Leading a work package within a project such as ECOSPHEREWINES represents, on the one hand, recognition by the consortium of the work carried out by ADVID over the years in the field of functional biodiversity and its ability to align results with the needs of the wine sector. On the other hand, it entails a responsibility, as an interface structure between the scientific system and the wine sector, to promote strategies and action plans based on the knowledge generated and tailored to sector-specific realities.
Why do you consider international cooperation to be key in an initiative like ECOSPHEREWINES?
Over its 43 years of activity, ADVID has consistently promoted international partnerships to foster cross-border knowledge exchange in the wine sector and to monitor global trends and challenges. Experience has shown that many challenges—such as biodiversity loss and climate change—are common across most wine-producing regions.
In this context, initiatives like ECOSPHEREWINES demonstrate that international cooperation is essential, as it enables the sharing and transfer of knowledge, experience, and practical solutions that can be adapted to diverse regional contexts. By bringing together partners from Portugal, Spain, and France, the project facilitates the exchange of best practices and the implementation of optimal solutions, generating a positive impact across the SUDOE wine sector.
What is ADVID’s technical contribution to ECOSPHEREWINES?
ADVID plays a technical and scientific role in ECOSPHEREWINES, while also ensuring the active involvement of the wine sector, drawing on its strong relationships with members and other sector stakeholders, as well as its R&D expertise and the work carried out by its CoLAB Vines&Wines department.
Within the project, ADVID contributes to the review of the state of the art on green infrastructures and ecological vineyard management, the characterization of the Alto Douro viticultural landscapes, and the identification of factors influencing the adoption of these practices by producers. ADVID also leads the definition and implementation of nature-based solutions in experimental areas and, as coordinator of WG3, facilitates the network responsible for knowledge transfer, capacity building, and sector engagement. Through its close collaboration with the scientific community and wine sector stakeholders, ADVID ensures effective dissemination of results and promotes tangible impacts on the transition towards more sustainable vineyard practices.
Looking ahead, what will participation in this project represent for ADVID?
Participation in ECOSPHEREWINES represents a significant milestone for ADVID, allowing the organization to consolidate its position as a reference entity in the promotion of best viticultural practices. The results and knowledge generated through the project will support more informed decision-making regarding green infrastructures, identifying the most appropriate practices and methodologies to be implemented among members and partners.
Looking to the future, this experience is expected to strengthen ADVID’s innovation capacity and expand its cooperation network, fostering new initiatives and collaborations. The project’s impact will extend beyond the Douro Demarcated Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contributing to the international promotion of more sustainable viticultural practices.