The article by Elena Gorriz-Mifsud, Soazig Darnay, and Marc Rovellada Ballesteros (Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya-CTFC), published in the prestigious scientific journal 'Trees, Forests and People' (Elsevier), analyzes the role of the wine sector in mitigating wildfire risk in the Mediterranean region. It concludes that managing the forest-vineyard interface can help mitigate wildfire risk and curb its spread.

The research published in 'Trees, Forests and People' is the result of a detailed analysis of a survey conducted as part of the Fire RES project, coordinated by the CTFC, aimed at exploring the development of wildfire prevention strategies that involve the primary sector. The survey provides qualitative insights into vineyard-forest landscape management. Participants included winegrowers, producers, wineries, and oenologists from Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy. Among the key findings, the study highlights that only 25% of forest owners have a management plan, and that most of the measures currently implemented focus on establishing firebreaks rather than actively managing biomass. This indicates potential for strategic improvements to enhance landscape fire resilience.

The study further emphasizes the need for financial incentives to implement wildfire risk reduction strategies, as well as interest in developing a “fire-smart” product certification to recognize efforts in wildfire prevention. The research underscores the importance of better alignment between the forestry and wine sectors to enhance landscape management against wildfires and to promote effective support mechanisms for land managers.