Food and Wine and Things

Flavescence dorée infected vines courtesy of Josef Klement

Decanter released an article earlier this week regarding the threats lobbied against biodynamic wine producer Emmanuel Giboulot, for his refusal to cooperate with the Agricultural Ministry (DRAAF-SRAL) of the Côte-d’Or in France. You can read the original article written by Jane Anson here. In short Giboulot is being threatened with fines and jail time for not applying insecticides against a voracious leaf-hopper known as scaphoideus titanus, which is a vector of flavescence dorée disease.

The article itself comes across as not much more than a sensationalist puff-piece, meant to pull on the heartstrings of the environmentally concerned public who have come to assume that all insecticides are bad all the time. There is no information regarding the pest management strategies in the Côte-d’Or and what insecticide (or insecticides) they are asking farmers to use is a complete mystery. Outside of the Decanter article, there appears to be no other available news regarding this conflict.

I get that I’m supposed to be enraged that they would force a farmer to do something that is potentially damaging to the environment, but a widespread outbreak of a treatable problem would likely be far more damaging than participating in a carefully prepared and executed integrated pest management plan. The application of IGR’s (which are considered reduced risk by the EPA) for example, at the beginning of the pests life cycle would greatly reduce risk not only for Giboulot, but also his neighbors. Leaf hopping insects are excellent travelers and simply ripping up infested vines  is often too little, too late. In the tightly packed region of the Beaune, where Giboulot finds himself, this could spell disaster for his fellow growers. It could also mean that heavier and more toxic insecticides would need to be used by his neighbors in order to combat adult leaf hoppers migrating from his vineyard.

While I can appreciate the concept and goals of biodynamics in vineyard management, not properly caring for your vineyards and ecosystem just because you want to put “organic” or “biodynamic” on your label is just irresponsible.