Land use changes (LUCs) are an important source of environmental changes in production systems, especially in the agricultural sector, where LUCs have been found to be a relevant factor to take into consideration when analyzing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The viticulture subsector, as part of a broader agricultural sector, is not alien to the problematic of GHG emissions and climate change. Spain, as one of the main producers of wine worldwide, but also due to the important legislative and productive changes that have occurred ever since it joined the European Union, plays an important role in the analysis of how LUCs linked to the viticulture sector have effects on the environment. Therefore, in the current study we examined the LUCs that have occurred in the Ribeiro appellation in NW Spain between 1989 and 2009. For this, GIS was used to map the gradual dynamic changes on an annual basis of the areas used for wine production. Thereafter, the different land uses that substituted or were substituted by vineyards were identified in order to calculate the carbon storage and carbon emission dynamics based on the IPCC guidelines. Finally, operational activities linked to viticulture, including changes in technology over time, were added to the model in order to obtain a broad picture of entire impact of viticulture in terms of GHG emissions. The results present an interesting pattern, with GHG emissions linked to LUCs steadily decreasing in the timeframe analyzed. Similarly, the improvement of machinery, the reduction on fossil dependency in the Spanish electricity mix and the stricter use of specific standards for the use of plant protection agents also contributed to a gradual decrease in GHG emissions per functional unit (i.e. 1 ha of cultivated vineyards). These results are aimed at providing the appellation and other appellations throughout with environmentally relevant information regarding how different factors influencing their change through time can be analyzed to give support in policy making and decision making at a business level.
