Sustentabilidade ambiental no Douro Superior, território fronteiriço da União Europeia

Abstract

The main objectives of this communication are: a) to make a brief diachronic analysis of the expansion, affirmation and sustainability of the vineyard and wine in the territory of the Upper Douro, which today produces Port wine and DOC wines of high quality; b) to summarise the three phases of the evolution of the vineyard: a first, embryonic and of reduced commercial expression, prior to the outbreak of phylloxera; the second, of slow but progressive affirmation in the subsequent period until the demarcations of João Franco and Ferreira do Amaral (1907-1908), with the institutional recognition of the extension of the Douro Demarcated Region to the border with Spain; the third, occurring in the course of the 20th century, relating to the viticultural consolidation of this sub-region; c) to compare this historical anchoring with the management of the ecological assets and resources of this viticultural space in the dimension of environmental sustainability. With regard to the methodology to be used, in addition to documentary research of sources, documents and scientific works of the speciality, we also consider methods and methodologies of Environmental History. Regarding the expected results, we emphasise the following topics of discussion: (i) the problem of water shortage and the need to monetise/rationalise resources, with a view to promoting a balance between environmental sustainability and the production of high-quality wines; (ii) the increase in new studies incorporating the environmental aspect, whose potential allows us to broaden our knowledge of ecological balance and biophysical characterisation and to test other approaches to current issues of sustainable development of inland regions of great importance in people's lives and working environments, as advocated for example by the UN's goal "12 - Sustainable Production and Consumption of the 2030 Agenda".