Management Systems for Sustainability Practices in the Wine Sector: The Case of Bodegas y Viñedos Fontana, S.L, a Spanish Winery

Abstract

Climate change is becoming a reality. As a consequence of human action, the increase in carbon emissions is altering the planet’s climate patterns. The food industry generates and releases large amounts of greenhouse gases; in addition, the water consumed in these processes also has a large impact on ecosystems. More concretely, the wine sector has to manage its awareness of the close relationship between the sector’s activity and climate change with the growing competition in the world markets. Companies are adopting different strategies. Some of them are defensive, with companies’ stepping up production to increase sales and compensate for the lower profit margins, while at the same time, increasing their carbon footprint. Other companies, however, have opted to implement social innovations, seeking to reduce the impact of their production activities on the environment, while, at the same time, gaining in competitiveness.

This chapter reports a case study on Bodegas y Viñedos Fontana, S.L., a winery producing wines with the Uclés designation of origin, from the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). This company has broken with the bulk production that is typical of the area, committing to a strategy dominated by a high level of environmental proactivity. In this way, not only has it increased turnover but has also managed to enhance its financial performance and position itself in international markets. This case study makes a contribution to the literature on the economic profitability of environmental proactivity, within the framework of social innovations.