The Impact of the European Grapevine Moth on Grape Production: Implications for Eradication Programs

The European grapevine moth is one of the most pertinent viticulture pests. In recent years, the moth extended to New World countries, some of which started eradication programs. We used a dataset for Mendoza and a county-fixed effects regression model to estimate the impact of the moth on grape production across the province's counties. Our results suggest that the moth led to a decrease of up to 8% of Mendoza's grape production; however, this may have been worse without strong eradication efforts. We conclude that moth eradication programs may be economically justified in Argentina, and perhaps in other countries. (JEL Classifications: Q10, Q18, C23)