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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2022

Disparities in recognizing GIs: causes, consequences, possible evolutions

Résumé

Geographical Indications (GI) are official signs that indicate that a product has "a" certain specific quality linked to the territory of origin. However, the implementation of the CGI does not offer full guarantees in that regard. The findings of ambiguities in the regulations and above all, of their interpretations (Sylvander and Barjolle, 2000), entail a huge variability of qualities communicated under the great umbrella of the GI, with risks of misleading customers. What is the essence of the GI? In principle they communicate the presence of "a" quality (objectified and symbolic) built locally in the course of history. That quality should be identifiable and correspond to what local society assumes as its own. The criteria on which is based the recognition of CGIs should be stable, shared and known by the different countries. However, there are strong differences in the criteria used for such a recognition. To what extent a rating system that has no equivalence, neither conceptual nor practical, among countries should be considered reliable? To what extent is a global system that benefits countries with low levels of requirements to recognize CGIs appropriate? What are the main reasons for these drifts in the recognition process and what are the possible corrections? From our experience as researchers, members of recognition devices and companions in processes of construction of recognition applications, we compared the ideal provision of GI positive effects with real cases issues. We consider that the technical, commercial and political ways to build specifications provide the three sources of such drifts. At a technical level, ambiguities come from the regulations themselves, especially under the PGI (but not only). One of the main difficulties is the consideration of reputation as a sufficient element to support a differentiation through PGI. In other cases, it is due to the consideration (or not) of human factors as essential. The diversity of interpretations of these elements partly explains the large range of products including a low degree of specificity in their quality and a weak link with their territory. In other cases, the weakening of the link with the territory and the trivialization of quality are due to an indiscriminate incorporation of exogenous technologies into the territory. At the commercial level, adjusting to the desires of certain niche markets can lead to a loss of specific quality and local society appropriation. At the political level, the drifts come from the pressures that can be exerted for a product to be recognized by GI, even if there are no sufficient bases that justify it. From our perspective, these drifts weaken the system, inducing loss of credibility and negative effects at the territorial level. Faced with such drifts that jeopardize the system, our reflection is oriented to propose possible ways of reorganization, in which situations that do not respond to the requirements of GIs are redirected towards other devices such as public or private territorial brands. This would contribute to achieving a more objective and reliable system, in view of ensuring its perennation.
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Dates et versions

hal-03791221 , version 1 (29-09-2022)

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  • HAL Id : hal-03791221 , version 1

Citer

Marcelo Champredonde, Francois Casabianca. Disparities in recognizing GIs: causes, consequences, possible evolutions. Worldwide Perspectives on Geographical Indications, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement [Cirad], Jul 2022, Montpellier, France. ⟨hal-03791221⟩

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