Projects
Working Papers
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You will find below abstracts of my working papers and titles of my work in progress. My next presentation is planned for the 8-10th of December 2026 in Montpellier where I will present my ongoing work titled Behavioral insights into the adoption dynamics of fungus-resistant grapevine varieties at the Vinid’Occ International Conference (see here for more details)
Will collective action make resistant grapevine varieties sparkle in Champagne? A discrete choice experiment
Gaëlle Leduc, Laure Latruffe, Adeline Alonso Ugaglia
Stage: Under Review in Journal of Wine Economics
Abstract:
Fungus resistant grapevine (FRG) varieties have the potential to substantially decrease fungicide use in viticulture, a sector heavily reliant on pesticides. Literature exploring winegrowers' intentions to adopt these varieties and possible leverages for facilitating their currently limited integration, is blatantly lacking. This study aims at filling the gap by analyzing winegrowers' willingness to plant and manage FRG varieties either collectively or individually. To do so, we conduct a discrete choice experiment that includes technical support and possibility to share labour and material at different stages of FRG varieties integration. Our results indicate so far that winegrowers are willing to receive both ex-ante and ex-post planting support collectively. We also find that winegrowers with lower revenues are more likely to share material for the planting of FRG varieties but not the spraying material.
Gaëlle Leduc, Laure Latruffe, Adeline Alonso Ugaglia
Stage: Under Review in Journal of Wine Economics
Abstract:
Fungus resistant grapevine (FRG) varieties have the potential to substantially decrease fungicide use in viticulture, a sector heavily reliant on pesticides. Literature exploring winegrowers' intentions to adopt these varieties and possible leverages for facilitating their currently limited integration, is blatantly lacking. This study aims at filling the gap by analyzing winegrowers' willingness to plant and manage FRG varieties either collectively or individually. To do so, we conduct a discrete choice experiment that includes technical support and possibility to share labour and material at different stages of FRG varieties integration. Our results indicate so far that winegrowers are willing to receive both ex-ante and ex-post planting support collectively. We also find that winegrowers with lower revenues are more likely to share material for the planting of FRG varieties but not the spraying material.
Behavioral insights into the adoption dynamics of fungus-resistant grapevine varieties
Gaëlle Leduc, Lucca Zachmann, Robert Finger
Stage: Under Review in European Review of Agricultural Economics (ERAE)
Gaëlle Leduc, Lucca Zachmann, Robert Finger
Stage: Under Review in European Review of Agricultural Economics (ERAE)
Understanding how farmers adopt agricultural innovations requires moving beyond binary measures of adoption toward a dynamic perspective. Using panel survey data from 2019, 2022, and 2025, this study examines the adoption of fungus-resistant grapevine varieties in Switzerland. Building on Pannell’s framework of adoption stages, we analyse both the trajectories farmers follow over time and the profiles of adopters, with particular attention to behavioural factors such as risk preferences and non-cognitive skills. Unlike most studies relying on cross-sectional or self-reported adoption stages, our analysis uses direct behavioural measures and controls for unobserved heterogeneity. Preliminary results show that aggregate increases in planted area mask a substantial share of disadopters. We also find that trialing a variety frequently leads to later disadoption, suggesting uncertainty in early learning phases. Finally, farm and farmer characteristics explain adoption dynamics more strongly than behavioural variables.