Brussels, 8 December 2025
EFOW participated today in the European Food Forum (EFF) debate “A World Without Wine: What is at Stake for Europe?“, hosted in the European Parliament by MEPs Christine Schneider and Esther Herranz García. On this occasion, EFOW warmly congratulated the EU institutions for reaching a positive agreement on the wine package — a crucial step to help the sector emerge from the current crisis.
The full event is available to rewatch on the EFF website
In its intervention, EFOW’s President, Mr. Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, recalled that sustainability of the wine sector rests on three inseparable pillars (environmental, social, and economic) and that Europe’s wine regions bring these pillars together in a way few sectors do.
Wine is a human and territorial story, especially for Geographical Indication wines which have been produced in specific territories of the EU for centuries and cannot be delocalised. In many rural areas marked by steep slopes, poor soils, drought, or mountain terraces, vines are the only viable crop. Where vines thrive, rural communities survive.
The event tackled a central challenge: wine is increasingly discussed almost exclusively through the lens of health. The EFF provided a much-needed platform to rebalance the conversation, bringing together policymakers, researchers, producers, and civil society to explore wine’s broader cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions.
Participants examined how wine contributes to biodiversity, rural vitality, tourism, and trade, while also discussing how Europe can embrace evolving health trends and promote more conscious consumption. EFOW welcomed this open, evidence-informed dialogue and stressed the importance of policies that recognise both public health priorities and the indispensable role of wine in Europe’s food culture and rural economies.