An exploration of Greek wineries' internal motives and barriers for the adoption of organic viticulture

Abstract

The examination of organic viticulture from the business perspective is an interesting, yet not so widely discussed research area. The present study emphasizes on the concept of organic viticulture by investigating parameters functioning as motives or barriers towards introducing or avoiding an organic cultivation in the vineyards from wineries in Central Macedonia, which is a region in Northern Greece. The ultimate objective is to discover factors which either elaborate or restrict Greek wineries in adopting sustainable methods in the vineyard. The framework for this research is provided from the theory of the five capitals model including the natural, human, physical, social and financial capitals. The researcher adds the symbolic capital to uncover cultural parameters related to wine production which are not apparent from the other capitals. The five capitals theory is addressed to investigate the importance of certain resources for wineries’ decision-making processes. A qualitative method consisting of face-to-face or online interviews with organically- and conventionally-oriented wineries in Central Macedonia is based on a discussion guide. Content analysis is performed on the interviews’ transcripts to reveal internal motives and barriers regarding organic viticulture. The main findings suggest that the natural, human and financial capitals are mostly differentiated among organically- and conventionally-oriented wineries. Wineries adopting organic viticulture believe in the concept of independent and sustainable ecosystems, resolve practical barriers, such as pest control, confirm the profitability of organic viticulture and overall, they are positive towards organic cultivations. Conventionally-oriented wineries are more skeptical towards organic methods because they seem challenging, unreliable and risky for the cultivation and the sustainability of the business. Interestingly, for both sides environmental consciousness is an important driver, while bureaucracy and lack of recognition for organic wines are among the common barriers. The present research reveals some of the most vital drivers and barriers in introducing or not organic viticulture in Greek wineries suggesting thus to wineries and the government solutions towards strengthening the presence of organic cultivations in Greece. Since the sample for this study is limited to ten wineries, future research should expand the research objective and address more Greek wineries to form a more representative picture of the main motives and barriers in organic viticulture.