Bologna, November 7, 2025 – A workshop titled "From Awareness to Change: Towards a More Inclusive Wine Sector" was held in Bologna at the Coldiretti Village, where SFC presented Grapes of Change, a project co-financed by the European Commission's CERV program, dedicated to combating discrimination and gender-based violence in the wine sector and promoting safer, more inclusive, and competitive wineries and vineyards.
Coordinated by Coldiretti and moderated by Massimiliano Ossini and Marica Latella, the Bologna workshop featured entrepreneurs Dominga Cotarella and Diana Lenzi, who provided concrete testimony of the commitment of those building the Italian wine sector every day.
Particularly significant was Antonella Di Tonno's testimony on how she obtained European gender equality certification for her company.
"The stories of these entrepreneurs demonstrate how production excellence goes hand in hand with fair and safe working environments, and it is on this objective that Grapes of Change was born—an initiative co-financed by the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission. The project addresses a complementary but often invisible issue: the prevention and combat of gender-based violence in all its forms—physical, psychological, economic, verbal—throughout the entire wine supply chain."
Ivana Russiello, coordinator of the initiative, presented the project, which involves 14 partners in 8 European countries—Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Poland, with Croatia joining soon. Coldiretti is one of the key partners in this initiative, which also has the support of a network of approximately 30 supporters, including the Association of Wine Women and numerous women's associations and businesses from the participating countries.
"This endorsement demonstrates that the problem is truly experienced by many people in workplace environments in the sector, even if it doesn't always become evident," the coordinator emphasized.
"Throughout the wine supply chain, specific vulnerabilities exist: seasonal workers in vineyards, often foreign and in isolated conditions; women in entrepreneurial families whose role in the company is not recognized; young professionals in commercial offices; sales staff in wine shops; production managers in cellars. Each phase has its risks, each role needs to operate with awareness," she explained. "Grapes of Change moves in this direction, building and strengthening pathways for inclusion and combating gender-based violence in the sector. We're not talking about adding bureaucracy, but about building usable resources that improve the company climate, working conditions for everyone, and reduce legal and reputational risks for businesses."
The presentation launched a concrete "call to action" within everyone's reach: "This audience is composed of entrepreneurs, representatives of the Coldiretti Women's Movement from various Italian regions, representatives of CREA and ISMEA, the Copa-Cogeca Women's Committee, local institutions, women's advocacy associations, and journalists.
All of you can actively contribute to building pathways for inclusion and combating gender-based violence through 'Grapes of Change' through one or more actions that we will implement over the project's 3-year duration:
- Contribute to data collection: At this stage, best practices are being collected from companies that have made gender equality a corporate value. In 2026, the Observatory will be online and available to everyone.
- Sign the letter of support: Join the community of businesses and associations for information exchange. "Entrepreneurs who have obtained equality certifications didn't do it alone—they learned from other experiences, shared difficulties and solutions."
Express your views on the issue by signing the letter of support LINK
- Participate in training programs: In the coming months, practical sessions will be organized throughout Italy for SME owners, HR managers, team leaders, and harvest coordinators. Participants will work on concrete cases to learn to recognize inappropriate behaviors, intervene, and build protocols suited to their reality.
- Bring the voice of businesses to the institutional table: The project produces guidelines for public decision-makers. "Your voice is needed to build realistic regulations that truly protect workers in vineyards as well as in cellars, in family businesses as well as in cooperatives."
Grapes of Change positions itself as a concrete and accessible tool for all wine sector businesses that want to undertake this path of change, with the fundamental support of Coldiretti and its territorial network.
For all information on how to join Grapes of Change, you can contact: Ivana Russiello,
Bologna, November 7, 2025 – A workshop titled "From Awareness to Change: Towards a More Inclusive Wine Sector" was held in Bologna at the Coldiretti Village, where SFC presented Grapes of Change, a project co-financed by the European Commission's CERV program, dedicated to combating discrimination and gender-based violence in the wine sector and promoting safer, more inclusive, and competitive wineries and vineyards.
Coordinated by Coldiretti and moderated by Massimiliano Ossini and Marica Latella, the Bologna workshop featured entrepreneurs Dominga Cotarella and Diana Lenzi, who provided concrete testimony of the commitment of those building the Italian wine sector every day.
Particularly significant was Antonella Di Tonno's testimony on how she obtained European gender equality certification for her company.
"The stories of these entrepreneurs demonstrate how production excellence goes hand in hand with fair and safe working environments, and it is on this objective that Grapes of Change was born—an initiative co-financed by the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission. The project addresses a complementary but often invisible issue: the prevention and combat of gender-based violence in all its forms—physical, psychological, economic, verbal—throughout the entire wine supply chain."
Ivana Russiello, coordinator of the initiative, presented the project, which involves 14 partners in 8 European countries—Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Poland, with Croatia joining soon. Coldiretti is one of the key partners in this initiative, which also has the support of a network of approximately 30 supporters, including the Association of Wine Women and numerous women's associations and businesses from the participating countries.
"This endorsement demonstrates that the problem is truly experienced by many people in workplace environments in the sector, even if it doesn't always become evident," the coordinator emphasized.
"Throughout the wine supply chain, specific vulnerabilities exist: seasonal workers in vineyards, often foreign and in isolated conditions; women in entrepreneurial families whose role in the company is not recognized; young professionals in commercial offices; sales staff in wine shops; production managers in cellars. Each phase has its risks, each role needs to operate with awareness," she explained. "Grapes of Change moves in this direction, building and strengthening pathways for inclusion and combating gender-based violence in the sector. We're not talking about adding bureaucracy, but about building usable resources that improve the company climate, working conditions for everyone, and reduce legal and reputational risks for businesses."
The presentation launched a concrete "call to action" within everyone's reach: "This audience is composed of entrepreneurs, representatives of the Coldiretti Women's Movement from various Italian regions, representatives of CREA and ISMEA, the Copa-Cogeca Women's Committee, local institutions, women's advocacy associations, and journalists.
All of you can actively contribute to building pathways for inclusion and combating gender-based violence through 'Grapes of Change' through one or more actions that we will implement over the project's 3-year duration:
- Contribute to data collection: At this stage, best practices are being collected from companies that have made gender equality a corporate value. In 2026, the Observatory will be online and available to everyone.
- Sign the letter of support: Join the community of businesses and associations for information exchange. "Entrepreneurs who have obtained equality certifications didn't do it alone—they learned from other experiences, shared difficulties and solutions."
Express your views on the issue by signing the letter of support LINK
- Participate in training programs: In the coming months, practical sessions will be organized throughout Italy for SME owners, HR managers, team leaders, and harvest coordinators. Participants will work on concrete cases to learn to recognize inappropriate behaviors, intervene, and build protocols suited to their reality.
- Bring the voice of businesses to the institutional table: The project produces guidelines for public decision-makers. "Your voice is needed to build realistic regulations that truly protect workers in vineyards as well as in cellars, in family businesses as well as in cooperatives."
Grapes of Change positions itself as a concrete and accessible tool for all wine sector businesses that want to undertake this path of change, with the fundamental support of Coldiretti and its territorial network.
For all information on how to join Grapes of Change, you can contact: Ivana Russiello,