Environmental questions within Bordeaux area wine growing (In French)

Abstract

Today, environment is the wine growing main “focusing problem” because it questions the dynamics of its activities. Evolutionism allows an appraisal of this dynamics in a specific perspective aiming the integration of environmental innovations into technological trajectories. Starting from the hypothesis that innovations are realized in a selective, finalized and cumulative path, the present paper tries to characterize environmental trajectories by focusing on the innovative behavior of Bordeaux area wine growers. On the basis of the results of a questionnaire interviewing these actors, the paper shows that the main environmental question relates to the uses of pesticides, wine growing being strongly dependent on the diffusion and uses of these products. In the same time, this survey points that regulation and economic incentives do not lead to sufficient changes, as environmental innovations suppose a change in the wine growers knowledge base.Environment, Knowledge base, Innovations, Pesticides, Reasoned agriculture, Wine growing, Technological trajectories