Place-Based Pathways to Sustainability: Exploring Alignment between Geographical Indications and the Concept of Agroecology Territories in Wales

How to Regulate the Infringements of Geographical Indications of Agricultural Products-An Empirical Study on Judicial Documents in China

Under the background of China's strategy of becoming a powerful agricultural country, geographical indications (GIs) of agricultural products, as an important intellectual property right to enable Chinese agriculture to develop with high quality, have a strong effect of strengthening and promoting agriculture. However, there are a large number of infringements of GIs among agricultural products in judicial practice, which not only greatly damage the economic and social values of GIs of agricultural products, but also bring huge food safety hazards to consumers and hinder the overall protection of intellectual property rights in China. On this basis, this paper, with the help of a quasi-case research method, integrates the facts of relevant cases, the focus of disputes, the application of law, and other case elements to realize the case similarity judgment based on the legal argumentation model. With the help of the retrieval tool of "Peking University Magic Weapon", this paper provides statistics on the civil cases of infringement of GIs of agricultural products in China from 1 January 2014 to 31 July 2022 and sets different retrieval conditions for two searches. After two screenings, 245 valid samples were obtained, and the judicial patterns of infringement disputes over GIs of agricultural products in China were systematically sorted out from the distribution of plaintiff and defendant, the distribution of infringement types, the basis of adjudication, and the standard of compensation. It was found that the plaintiff types showed double simplification, the infringement types took edge infringement as the basic form, and the general trademark provisions occupied the main position in legal applications. Then, the main litigation points, such as the dispute over the identification of GIs of agricultural products, the dispute over the use of geographical names, and the dispute over tort liability, are summarized, so as to dig out the characteristics of the implicitness of infringement, the expectation of implementation, and the concreteness of aspects. On this basis, the regulatory path of the infringement of GIs of agricultural products is put forward, such as introducing procuratorial public interest litigation, multi-agents cooperating to implement all-round supervision, and reasonably determining the amount of damages.

The Economies of Identities: Recognising the Economic Value of the Characteristics of Territories

The economic relevance of the characteristics of territories has been addressed by many approaches across different disciplines. While some consider them an important source for the reputation of territories, others rely on the fact that in a global mass market the territorial embeddedness of goods and services increase their market value through the assertion of their uniqueness and authenticity. In this article we propose the integration of these different interpretations on a common framework to better understand the underlying mechanisms and processes associated with the economic consequences of those characteristics that make territories unique and form their identity. We conduct a literature review to identify basic definitions, existing methodologies and core features of the most relevant studies on the topic to provide a broad conceptual framework for the analysis and economic promotion of the identities of territories. Additionally, two illustrative case studies are presented, covering successful strategies where identities have been put in the centre of an economic development strategy: the Way of Saint James (Galicia, Spain) and the Douro Valley (Portugal). Through the lens of the reviewed concepts, both strategies are assessed. Building on a broad repertoire of research approaches and disciplines, we conclude by outlining a new research agenda on the economies of identities and stressing the potentialities and limitations of mobilising the identities of territories as a resource for economic development.

Geographical Indication Building Process for Sharr Cheese (Kosovo): “Inside Insights” on Sustainability

This article aims to contribute to the reflection on sustainability in the field of Geographical Indications (GI). GIs are instruments for organizing collective action that have great interpretative flexibility. They are mobilized by a set of qualifying actors of differing natures, with diverse and sometimes divergent interests. For this reason, we focus on how the dimension of sustainability emerges from a collective learning process. Based on the approaches developed by Organization Studies, this article describes and analyzes the process of creating a GI for Sharr Cheese, a Balkan seasonal sheep pastoral cheese highly typical of a mountain range in Kosovo * (this designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence). The authors occupied an embedded research position in this learning process, from 2015 to 2019. The article describes boundary work carried out by the facilitators of collective action (brokers) within experimental spaces during the GI-building process. It analyzes how environmental accountability within the Sharr Cheese GI emerges from a strategic knowledge-brokering process and intensive institutional work.

Multi-Actor Governance for a Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector: Bio-Districts

The transition of the European agri-food sector towards a sustainable production and consumption model is a key element of the Green Deal. The new European “Farm to Fork” strategy aims to make the food system fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly. The consolidation and development of the organic model are two of the main objectives. In Italy, this development can be achieved through the Bio-District model. This model, which was born in the last ten years in Italy, is characterized by innovative multi-actor governance. From an explorative perspective, this study analyses the background literature on Bio-Districts and the context of the development of the Etruscan Roman Bio-District to understand the potential and the factors that allow the application of the principles of the Circular Economy. It focuses on multiple comparative analyses by using a qualitative–quantitative approach. The analysis of the context highlights the potential for expansion linked to an integrated short supply chain through three scenarios.

The Potential of Geographical Indications (GI) to Enhance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Japan: Overview and Insights from Japan GI Mishima Potato

Geographical indications (GIs) have recently become an important tool for Japanese agricultural policy, particularly after the adoption of a “sui generis” certification system in 2015. In the same year, the United Nations proposed a common agenda with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The present paper addresses the potential of GIs to enhance SDGs in Japan. First, we examine existing knowledge on GI inception, which consists in both government reports and research surveys. We show that these studies mostly focus on SDGs related to economic growth, and on social issues raised by the registration process. Then, as an exploration of potential impacts of GIs on the full set of SDGs, we study the case of Mishima Bareisho Potato GI, on the basis of interviews and participatory observation. From local stakeholders’ point of view, Mishima Potato GI can contribute to at least nine SDGs at all the production, transformation and commercialization stages. The SDG framework is useful to reveal some contributions seldomly considered in GI studies but which matter for local people, for example, the employment of disabled people or nutritional education. Finally, we discuss how these new insights can contribute to the debate on the potential role and limits of GIs for sustainable development in Japan.

Product Qualification as a Means of Identifying Sustainability Pathways for Place-Based Agri-Food Systems: The Case of the GI Corsican Grapefruit (France)

Existing frameworks offer a holistic way to evaluate a food system based on sustainability indicators but can fall short of offering clear direction. To analyze the sustainability of a geographical indication (GI) system, we adopt a product-centered approach that begins with understanding the product qualification along the value-chain. We use the case of the GI Corsican grapefruit focusing on understanding the quality criteria priorities from the orchard to the store. Our results show that certain compromises written into the Code of Practices threaten the system’s sustainability. Today the GI allows the fruit to be harvested before achieving peak maturity and expectations on visual quality lead to high levels of food waste. Its primary function is to help penetrate mainstream export markets and to optimize labor and infrastructure. Analyzing the stakeholders’ choices of qualification brings to light potential seeds for change in the short run such as later springtime harvests, diversification of the marketing channels, and more leniency on the fruit’s aesthetics. These solutions lead us to reflect on long-term pathways to sustainable development such as reinforcing the fruit’s typicality, reducing food waste, reorganizing human resources, and embedding the fruit into its territory and the local culture.