CHAMPAGNE

14
Sustainable
viticulture
The river Marne in Troissy
Sustainable
viticulture
The environmental impact of the Champagne
industry was assessed in a study conducted in
the early 2000s. Based on those findings, there
are four major issues for action:
Cover crop
Reduction of additives, and the control of risks to health
and the environment.
For more than twenty years now, the industry has been investing huge sums in research
and development aimed at controlling the possible consequences of crop protection.
The result today is a significant reduction in the quantities of pesticides used, and greater
safeguards in the way we use them. Half of all the products now used in Champagne
are approved for organic use. Champagne is among Europe’s leaders in the development
of sexual confusion techniques – a natural alternative to chemical insecticides that can
virtually eliminate pesticide use.
The preservation and enhancement of terroir, bio-diversity
and landscapes.
Vineyard soils
Protecting the soil against all forms of deterioration is a long-standing preoccupation in
Champagne, with particular attention to the physical, chemical and biological properties
of soil. Several initiatives have already been taken by the industry to protect and add
value to its heritage. Examples include: the management of groundwater resources
on slopes; the promotion of the ‘reasoned’ feeding of soil and vine; the development
of decision-making tools; the drawing-up of guidance maps; and the increased use of
cover cropping in and around vineyards.
Data collected over the past 20 years (monitoring of earthworm populations and microflora)
indicate that Champagne soils today enjoy an excellent level of biological activity.