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Environmental sustainability

Sustainability Research in the Spanish Wine Sector: Cooperatives and IOFs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Spanish wineries are grappling with environmental challenges while striving to become sustainable and environmentally responsible companies. A study on the sustainability of cooperatives and Investor Owner Firms (IOFs) in the Spanish wine sector reveals significant differences between the two business models. Researchers found that IOFs consistently orient their resources towards sustainability, whereas cooperatives have a lower orientation towards sustainability and fail to align their resources accordingly.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study, funded by FEDER- Interreg SUDOE Project, Spanish Government, Department of Science, University and Knowledge Society of the Government of Aragon, and VINCI, aimed to determine whether cooperatives and IOFs have different orientations towards sustainability in the Spanish wine sector.
  • The analysis involved a sample of 411 wineries and showed that IOFs consistently orient their resources towards sustainability, whereas cooperatives have a lower orientation towards sustainability.
  • The research concluded that the European model, with a clear advantage in the social component, may be more limited in the environmental aspect.
  • Cooperatives lack relevant alignment of their resources towards sustainability, indicating a potential gap in their environmental efforts.
  • IOFs, on the other hand, have a consistent and strategic approach to sustainability, suggesting better environmental outcomes.

Statistics:

  • 411 wineries participated in the study, providing valuable insights into the sustainability of cooperatives and IOFs in the Spanish wine sector.
  • 95.2% (according to Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics) of IOFs orient their resources towards sustainability in a consistent and strategic way.
  • 26.5% (according to Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics) of cooperatives have a lower orientation towards sustainability.

Sources:

  • Cooperatives and Sustainability Drivers In the Spanish Wine Sector. What Differences Do We Find With Investor Owner Firms? Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 2024;95(2):505-526.
  • Wiley-Blackwell (www.wiley.com/; Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8292)
  • Juan Ramon Ferrer, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Etsi Agron Alimentaria & Biosistemas, Ave Puerta Hierro, 2, 4, Madrid 28040, Spain.

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