A Network Analysis for Environmental Assessment in Wine Supply Chain

Abstract

In the agri-food sector, the Life Cycle Assessment method (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product. Within agri-food products, wine is among the most analysed products, not only for its economic importance but also for the environmental impact of its activity. The paper aims to identify the main trends in the wine sector revolving around environmental evaluation using the LCA method in the academic literature. The aim is to investigate the literature on life cycle assessment analysis of grape and wine production through the systematic grouping of papers into clusters of research. So, the purpose is to discuss the gaps and insights identified by the study in order to aid in the development of a comprehensive state of the art on the topic. Scopus and Web of Science were used to search all articles following a clear and replicable protocol. The results (keywords) were subjected to co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer, after which the articles were further analysed. Through a bibliographic coupling analysis, the research results were grouped through a network analysis that allowed identifying the research trends on the topic. Three clusters were identified containing the main lines of research on the subject. The results show that nowadays the literature is focusing on concerns related to climate change and consumer awareness on sustainability issues and certifications as well as environmental impacts generated mainly in the production phase in the vineyard. The research results are of interest for future research on LCA analysis in the wine sector in order to contribute to the discussion on the current model in the global wine sector.