Study shows: Wine industry is exceptionally productive

The European Wine Trade Association (CEEV) has presented figures on the situation in the wine industry to the EU Parliament in Brussels. The study was prepared by the consulting firm PwC. The aim of the study was to show the contribution of the wine industry to the EU's gross domestic product. According to CEEV, the wine industry in the EU has an "impressive and positive" impact. It accounts for 62 per cent of global wine production and trade. With exports worth 17.9 billion euros in 2022 and a positive trade balance of 15.9 billion euros, wine has played a "crucial role" in reducing the EU's trade deficit by 3.7 per cent.

According to the study, viticulture is 37 per cent more profitable than other agricultural crops. The wine industry employs 1.4 per cent of the total workforce in the EU. The jobs were "exceptionally productive" and generated a higher added value per employee than similar sectors. Tax revenues in 2022 amounted to almost 52 billion euros. This corresponds to 0.7 per cent of government spending in the EU. The wine industry is also an up-and-coming tourist attraction and therefore an important economic catalyst for many rural regions. In 2022, it generated revenue of around 15 billion euros.

"With almost three million jobs and a contribution of 130 billion euros to the EU's gross domestic product in 2022, the wine sector plays a fundamental role in the socio-economic sustainability of rural areas in the EU," said CEEV President Mauricio González-Gordon. The study also found that the more than 3.2 million hectares of vineyards contribute to sustainability in the EU. Biodiversity is promoted, soil erosion is limited, water management is improved and protection against forest fires is increased.

"The overall impact of wine on European society is impressive and very positive. But this success story remains delicate and needs to be supported. The legal framework must be further adapted and the wine culture protected from attacks," added the secretary of the CEEV, Ignacio Sanchez Recarte.

(ru / drinksbusiness, Agrisole)