Sustainable process in wine sector: biodynamic agriculture. The case of Emidio Pepe winery.

Over the past decades the concept of sustainability has become one of businesses’ most pressing need. Sustainability includes not only environmental liability, as respect to the natural environment, but it’s a broader concept that applies the entirety of the business global role and development. Seen as the guiding principle for long-term global development, sustainable development consists of three pillars: economic development, social development and environmental protection. Essentially, sustainability is just about business’s ability to survive and thrive over the long term. The concept of sustainability is derived from the notion of sustainable development, which is a way to use resource aimed to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present but also for future generation. The relationship between companies and the environment is so deep, that it should be seen as integral and essential part of its strategic planning to become a real management’s attribute. This is true for all types of companies: international companies, SME, family-business, farm, public utility, winery. The main aim of this article is to offer an example about one of the best model in sustainable growth in Italy’s sector wine production. It is possible to obtain by a really green production an excellent product in terms of quality and in the same time of sustainability. The meaning is to invest in this way to reach value creation and positive results for future generation through production model, environmental protection and above all in the future, in corporate reputation monitoring (we call Wine Reputation or Wi.Re.) or increasing various intangibles. We propose the study and evaluation about the positive aspects who refer to one of the best companies in Italy and one of the most advanced in this way: Emidio Pepe winery. It adopts an “ancestral” productive approach", we refer to biodynamic agriculture. We observe agricultural practices and healthy technologies wine cellar practices that do not affect the original flavor and aroma of the wine: it keeps the nature gift. The bases of biodynamic are the same principles of organic farming and more, excluding the use of chemicals. That's not all. The most of producers who strictly adhere to the biodynamic group "Return to Terroir / Renaissance des Appellations", they becoming promoters of a philosophy based on craftsmanship farm. The only leader exponent in Abruzzo of this philosophy is Emidio Pepe, precisely in a little town, Torano Nuovo, recognized like as the capital of the Montepulciano of Abruzzo. This paper shows a clear example how adopting this management model it is possible to reach: - an high level of product quality; - an high level of corporate reputational capital; - a strong cohesion with the stakeholders; - a better, safer, and more motivating work environment; - increasing the efficiency of business management; - a protection against boycotts; - more easy loan facilities. Emidio Pepe adopts a model of "sustainable abundance" compatible with the environment, with a better quality of life but with additional items related to the overall regeneration of the entire society, from the current crisis and the link SMEs-territory. The explanation of this case may be useful to demonstrate the alignment between environmental and business interests, ensured also by the diffusion of knowledge from generation to generation. The challenge is to invest “correctly” in order to achieve results in medium to long term. Technological innovations combined with the intelligent use of resources or waste decrease and the environment safety is the real strategy to secure the future, learning by the tradition, like as EMIDIO PEPE. For this reason, we propose a framework of monitoring referred to one of the most important intangible assets: the reputation as previously, in this paper, Wine Reputation: it will be offered a set of KPI (Key Performance Indicator) that will allow you to monitor the performance of this intangible. Sustainability will be law for the future above all in food sector, more delicate than others. Using a sustainable management, a good result can be achieved, above all in terms of intangibles. This is a fundamental matter and shouldn’t be excluded.