Characterising resilience in the wine industry: Insights and evidence from Marlborough, New Zealand

Abstract

This paper examines resilience through a case study of New Zealand’s largest wine region following a damaging earthquake in late-2016. It focuses on human and ecological characteristics across the whole value chain. Research included interviews with stakeholders, including wine business managers, wine researchers, industry bodies and others involved in the production and distribution of wine; document analysis (media and emergency response reports), and insurance assessments. The earthquake had direct impacts on infrastructure, with indirect impacts and implications for transportation and logistics. This affected the industry’s ability to minimise its losses. The framework developed in this paper is a useful conceptual and theoretical basis for further assessments. This type of analysis can help identify vulnerabilities and sensitivities and inform strategies to develop specific and general resilience in the face of multiple stressors. It can inform ways to monitor organisations’ capacity to absorb negative impacts and prepare for future uncertainty.