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During the XXth century, intensive agricultural practices has been spread and allowed an important increase of productivity, especially thanks to scientific and technical innovations. Nevertheless, this change had consequences on biodiversity, quality of ecosystems and landscapes by a simplification of wine areas. In addition, sociocultural pressures toward agricultural practices had become stronger and stronger. In response, many mobilizations had begun to emerge, especially in the wine sector. For some years, we observed a real dynamic of the sector at the environmental level with the creation of many approaches which are promoting sustainable wine practices. These certifications are various and come up to consumers' wishes for products which are respectful of environment. They can be carried by productors associations, wine regions, cooperatives, wine companies or public authorities. We have inventoried in 22 countries a total of 54 environmental certifications among which 33 are dedicated to viticulture. We categorize them through: the scale (local, national, international), the area (vine, vine and wine, multi agricultural sector), the subjects treated (environment, economic, social) and the dynamic of the approach (voluntary, compulsory, individual or collective). This article informs and sensitizes the actors of wine sector to the diversity of environmental approaches in the world.

In 2014, the French public authorities launched the agroecological project for France. This project aimed at starting the transition of French agriculture towards new production systems that are more efficient in the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. As a result, work involving the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) and the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), led to the publication of a “Guide for agroecology in viticulture” in early 2017. In early 2022, the guide was revised to become the “Guide for Agroecological Transition & Climate Change”. "Representation of the agroecological transition in viticulture", and the new agroecological themes - climate, soil, air, and atmosphere - have been created; the corresponding regulatory or possible agri-environmental measures have been created or updated. This “Guide for agroecological transition & climate change in viticulture” is a reference document accessible to all, which helps to understand the issues and design the future of viticulture. It is also a great tool to demonstrate the commitment of French vineyards to environmental transition. The guide has received the sponsorship of the Ministry of Agriculture and is prefaced by the Minister of Agriculture.

In 2014, the French public authorities launched the agroecological project for France. This project aimed at starting the transition of French agriculture towards new production systems that are more efficient in the economic, social and environmental dimensions. In 2016, the National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO), in charge of French geographical indications (GI), validated the integration of agrienvironmental measures into specifications of French GIs. A work involving the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) and INAO resulted in the publication of a “Guide for agroecology in viticulture” in early 2017. This guide describes agroecological measures that can be integrated into the production rules of French GIs. Those measures are classified according to the five themes initially identified by INAO. An agrienvironmental measure is the implementation of a strategic orientation articulated on the five themes of agroecology. Each measure is constructed on the basis of the knowledge of sustainable viticulture, the evolution of practices, examples already existing in the regions, including the specifications of the GIs. Accessible to all, the ambition of this guide is to provide technical benchmarks for winegrowers who wish to develop their practices individually or collectively in order to initiate or deepen an agrienvironmental approach.

Agro-ecology is a way of practicing agriculture by as well as possible using the operation and the resources of nature while preserving its capacitances of renewal. This approach mainly aims at reconciling agricultural development, environmental protection and biodiversity. In France, following a report coordinated by Mr. Guillou, this approach was encouraged at the end of 2012 by the Ministry for Agriculture, the Agroecology and the Forest with for objective reconciling economic and social environmental performances. For the viticulture, the challenges relate mainly to the reduction of the use of the plant health products. Within this framework, beyond the tweaking of the application of the plant health products, the vineyards must develop agro-ecological structures favorable to the biodiversity and valorization of the landscapes, support of eco-winetourism. They are made up, essentially, of the hedges, thickets, trees isolated and aligned, managed tapes buffers, low walls, benches. This topic was the object of a European program BIODIVINE (www.biodivine.eu) associated with operations of demonstration in various vineyards in France, Spain and in Portugal. The communication aims to define the concept of agro-ecology and to formalize to leave the experiment France the application to the vine terroirs.