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Almost two thirds of independent French winegrowers cite the weather risk as the main cause of economic instability in their business, ahead of inflation and rising costs. Their chairman Jean-Marie Fabre, a winegrower in Fitou, emphasises that 2024 has so far been an "exceptional year with no weather risk". However, only 469 millimetres of rain have fallen there in the past three years - "less than in an average year in the past." He warns that what he is currently experiencing is "a demonstration of what we will soon see throughout France". Vineyards are becoming deserts. He has therefore been calling for years for a government "Marshall Plan" and the provision of technical, fiscal and insurance instruments to counteract this.
On 16 July, the French government launched the "Agriculture Climat Méditerranée" action plan. For this plan, the state, local authorities, chambers of agriculture, professional organisations, cooperatives, banks and insurance companies are to discuss the consequences of climate change, develop projects for the individual regions and think about diversification. The first instalment of the plan will be supported with 50 million euros.
Fabre expects a lot from the discussions on water resources. He would like to see more reservoirs for irrigation, especially in flood areas. Waste water should be reused and new infrastructure should be built to utilise water from the Rhône. This brings 55 billion cubic metres of water into the Mediterranean every year. "We currently extract 150 million cubic metres of this, which is 0.28 per cent. Using a further 80 to 150 million cubic metres does not seem unreasonable in order to secure agriculture if the mountain reservoirs and reuse are not sufficient". The costs of these projects would be incomparably lower than the subsequent costs if more and more vineyards were to become fallow land, viticulture were to cease to be an economic factor and the increasing risk of fire were to force parts of the population to relocate.
(al / Source: vitisphere)