Geographical indications: collective organization and management.

Abstract

This chapter explains why and how, in a context of stronger competition for generic products in globalized markets, some European farmers and artisan processing enterprises have built 'strategic alliances' to coordinate the production and sales of origin food products. The first section of the chapter discusses the importance of collective organization in the European vision of protected designations of origin (PDOs) and protected geographical indications (PGIs), and why operators in countries/regions may be eager or reluctant to adopt this approach. The second section highlights the reasons that may lead producers and small artisan processors to join a collective organization. The third section is dedicated to the most common organizational models implemented with success in Europe. Finally, the last section of the chapter describes the construction process of the collective organization and emphasizes the difficulties of scaling up the organization without losing the vision, strategic objectives and values of the initiators.

Localised Agro‐Food Systems and Geographical Indications in the Face of Globalisation: The Case of Queso Chontaleño

“…This absence is particularly critical in the remote mountainous areas of Chontales where it is necessary to develop a collective understanding and appreciation of terroir and to promote mutual trust and cooperation. Unfortunately, producers of the countries of the ‘New World’ are unfamiliar with collective organisations and they tend to develop local food systems mainly based on face‐to‐face relationships between producers and buyers (Réviron and Chappuis ). The problem is partly a reflection of the international legislative framework on GIs, the TRIPs Agreement, which does not promote the formation of associations and does not specify collective organisations as a prerequisite for GI schemes.…”

Proving Provenance? Geographical Indications Certification and its Ambiguities

“…In a similar vein, Torre (2006) identifies the formalization of relationships through legally enforceable contracts leading to greater predictability, effective management and governance structures for the collective organization and consequently organizational trust in the rules (governing membership, compliance with the specification etc). Additional topics of interest include the motivation to join such collective organizations (O'Reilly, Haines, & Arfini, 2003), contrasts between the different types of co-ordination models (for e.g., interprofessional associations with membership across the supply chain versus a professional association representing a single, perhaps dominant, part of it) (Réviron & Chappuis, 2011) and the extent to which knowledge transfer is successful, since these networks provide a context for learning by doing (Réviron et al, 2009, p. 18).…”

From Geographical Indications to Rural Development: A Review of the Economic Effects of European Union Policy

“…Another effect usually ascribed to GIs is business stabilization [52,53], because of the ability of GI products to better resist the price falls observed during market shocks, as in the case of food shortages [54]. Moreover, the capacity to assure a basic remuneration in periods of crisis acts as a cushion for firms and helps them to pass through market crisis and thus increases their survival rate with respect to non-GI firms [55].…”