The intersection of science, sustainability, and digital innovation will take center stage at the 4th Science & Wine World Congress – Energy, Sustainability, and Green Transition in Wine and Olive Oil Production, to be held in Porto from May 28 to 30, 2025. Among the distinguished keynote speakers, Professor Ettore Capri stands out as a leading voice in advancing sustainable practices through interdisciplinary research and community-driven solutions. His presence at the Congress is not only timely but deeply aligned with the mission of promoting innovation and resilience across agri-food systems.
Professor Ettore Capri
A Professor of Agricultural Chemistry at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) in Italy, Capri has long been engaged in academic teaching, research, and policy advisory in the fields of risk assessment, food chain sustainability, and environmental protection. He currently directs the European Observatory on Sustainable Agriculture (OPERA), a think tank dedicated to developing evidence-based strategies for sustainable agriculture and facilitating dialogue between science, policy, and society. His academic portfolio includes participation in, and coordination of, over a dozen national and international research projects, ranging from chemical risk management (2-FUN, RISK-CYCLE) to groundwater protection (GENESIS), agro-environmental phytoremediation (ArtWET), and risk communication for water governance (BEVISICURO).
What sets Capri’s work apart is his integrative approach — combining environmental chemistry, health sciences, agricultural policy, and technology — to promote transformative change in food production systems. He is also actively engaged in capacity-building efforts, such as the Better Training for Safer Food (BTSF) program for the European Commission, and in citizen science initiatives that empower local communities to monitor and protect ecosystems. With over 250 scientific publications and books to his name, Capri is a thought leader whose impact extends far beyond the lab or lecture hall.
His recent work on blockchain technology in the wine sector is particularly relevant to the Congress theme. In the paper titled “Blockchain Technology in Wine Chain for Collecting and Addressing Sustainable Performance: An Exploratory Study”, Capri and his colleagues investigate whether blockchain can be leveraged as a management and certification tool to enhance sustainability in the wine industry. The study addresses a fundamental question: Can blockchain bridge the gap between sustainability certification requirements and actual practices in viticulture and winemaking?
The findings suggest that blockchain technology (BCT) holds considerable promise for increasing transparency, traceability, and accountability throughout the wine supply chain. The system allows for the secure collection and verification of critical data — such as soil and water quality, pesticide and fertilizer use, production processes, carbon emissions, and waste management — all of which are essential indicators of environmental sustainability. Moreover, BCT facilitates social and economic dimensions of sustainability by supporting fair labor practices, workplace safety, and the verification of product authenticity and origin.
By providing real-time, tamper-proof records, blockchain could complement or even enhance existing wine sustainability certification systems, many of which rely on periodic audits and paper-based documentation. For consumers, it offers a new level of trust, allowing them to access transparent information about how their wine is made. For producers, it reduces the administrative burden of sustainability reporting and improves internal quality control.
Figure 1. Integration of Blockchain-based wine chain and sustainability criteria in wine system.
However, as Capri points out, the road to widespread BCT adoption is far from smooth. The study identifies several critical challenges that the wine industry must confront. First and foremost is the lack of knowledge and readiness: a majority of surveyed companies (57.1%) had little or no familiarity with blockchain technology. This knowledge gap is compounded by a lack of IT skills, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises that often lack the specialized personnel to manage digital innovations.
The complexity of data management required for blockchain implementation presents another hurdle. Managing vast amounts of interlinked data across production stages is resource-intensive, and many producers lack the infrastructure or digital literacy to do so effectively. Compounding this is the issue of investment costs. The wine sector, especially in Southern Europe, includes many family-run and small-scale producers with limited budgets for new technology. For these businesses, blockchain may currently seem out of reach or not an immediate priority.
Beyond technical and economic barriers, the fragmented structure of the wine supply chain complicates coordination and standardization efforts. The successful implementation of BCT would require system-wide adoption involving grape growers, cooperatives, processors, bottlers, distributors, and certifying bodies. Integration with existing sustainability standards poses another challenge, particularly when legacy systems are incompatible with blockchain platforms.
Importantly, the study also acknowledges that while blockchain excels in managing quantitative data, it falls short in capturing qualitative aspects of sustainability — such as a winery’s cultural heritage, relationships with the local community, and social contributions to regional development. These human dimensions are often central to a wine’s identity and sustainability narrative but are not easily digitized.
Lastly, the market for blockchain solutions tailored to the wine industry is still in its infancy. There is a lack of consolidated expertise, accessible tools, and best practices, making it harder for producers to find reliable and scalable blockchain providers.
Despite these obstacles, Capri’s outlook remains positive. He advocates for strategic collaboration between wine producers, technology developers, public institutions, and researchers to overcome these barriers and make blockchain a functional and accessible tool for the industry. His research calls for targeted investments in education, technical support, and policy incentives to foster an enabling environment for BCT adoption.
At the 4th Science & Wine World Congress, Professor Capri is expected to expand on these themes, offering a compelling vision for the integration of science and technology in the pursuit of agricultural sustainability. His work not only highlights the possibilities offered by digital innovation but also reminds us of the importance of building bridges between tradition and transformation. In a time when food systems must rapidly adapt to environmental, social, and economic challenges, voices like Capri’s are vital to guiding the wine and olive oil industries toward a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Read all at: Luzzani, G.; Grandis, E.; Frey, M.; Capri, E. Blockchain Technology in Wine Chain for Collecting and Addressing Sustainable Performance: An Exploratory Study. Sustainability 2021, 13, 12898. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212898