Sustainable Transition in the Wine Industry. Comparative Experiences of Baja California (Mexico) and California (USA)

Abstract

The relationship between society, culture(s), and environment is fundamental to understanding the quality, valorization, and profitability of the agri-food and wine sector. These relationships are being reconfigured and evolving in response to climate change and the transition to a sustainable future. Given this scenario, this article examines the sociocultural and environmental interdependence of these processes and how it manifests in the current transformations of the wine sector. To this end, this work proposes a theoretical approach that dialogues with the socio-environmental systems approach, the biocultural perspective, the anthropology of sustainability, and the concept of taskscape. This theoretical framework is contextualized and empirically examined through an approach to wine production in Baja California, Mexico, and California, USA. The comparative analysis shared addresses the concerns and challenges of the sustainable transition in the contexts studied. At the same time, it reflects the socio-environmental aspects that condition the current transformative adaptations of wine activity in response to the pressures of climate change and sustainability. The findings suggest lines of action in advancing to the sustainable transition and contribute to an integral understanding of the processes, learning, and changes involved.