Quality Linked to Geographical Origin : A potential for sustainable development

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Quality Linked to Geographical Origin A
potential for sustainable development
FAO-EC-DIP regional seminar on rural development
and agricultural and food quality linked to
geographical origin in Asia lessons and
perspectives 8 11 June 2009, Imperial Queens
Park, Bangkok

• Emilie Vandecandelaere
• Food Quality and Standards Service
• Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division
• Emilie.vandecandelaere_at_fao.org

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Outline

• Background
• What is a Quality linked to Geographical origin
• Lessons learnt
• Conclusions

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Outline

• Background
• What is a Quality linked to Geographical origin
• Lessons learnt
• Conclusions

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Background
Increasing social expectations and consumer
demand for food and agricultural products with
specific quality label.

• ? New market opportunities, voluntary standards
  developed around some main concerns
• preservation of biodiversity and the environment
  (e.g. organic)
• social welfare and equity (e.g. fair-trade)
• traditions or characteristic linked to
  geographical origin (e.g. geographical indication)

Specific quality standards can contribute to
rural development How to enhance positive impact
on local resources management, how to mitigate
risks?
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Background
What are specific quality schemes?
GENERIC QUALITY minimum requirements for
accessing the markets (normative) SPECIFIC
QUALITYvoluntary approach for differentiating a
product that has specific characteristics

• Specific/differentiated Quality schemes are
  based on
• voluntary approach
• specification/standard
• guarantee system (control, certification)
• information (labeling)

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Background
FAO launched a program on specific
quality,2007 Main objective to assist Member
Countries and stakeholders in developing specific
quality schemes adapted to their economic, social
and cultural situation, contributing to rural
development. A focus on quality linked to
geographical origin and traditions.

• Means
• Collect information on Member countries and
  stakeholders experiences
• Regional seminars, expert meeting, networking
• Case studies
• Develop supportive tools, sensitize and inform
  stakeholders guide on GI about to come
• Technical cooperation projects
• www.foodquality-origin.org

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Outline

• Background
• What is a Quality linked to Geographical origin
• Lessons learnt
• Conclusions

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Quality linked to geographical origin

• Specific quality, characteristics, reputation
  linked to a geographical origin
• Heritage (terroir), a potential to add value
  (differentiation)
• Collective asset linked to the territory ?
  collective action
• Definition shared among loval producers ? code of
  practice (specification/ book of requirements)

One mean of identification Geographical
Indication (GI) ? Potential to be registered as
IP Right and protected
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Linking product, place and people
Product
People
Place
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Potentials for Rural development
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A two levels approach
One GI, one code of practice
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Outline

• Background
• What is a Quality linked to geographical origin
• Lessons learnt
• Conclusions

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National Institutional level

• Recent development but going quickly!
• Recognition by public actors public or private
  driven
• In general, Agriculture or IP in charge of the GI
  framework, with corresponding coordination for
  technical assessment and IP rights

• Complexity of the GI schemes multisectorial and
  multilevel
• Challenging in developing countries
  (certification, control, protection)
• Supportive policies vs top down approach need
  for a balance of public-private involvement

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For a sustainable local approach

• 4 stages for a virtuous
• quality circle
• Identification local awareness and assessment of
  potentials
• Product qualification setting up of the rules
  the code of practice
• Product remuneration marketing the products and
  generate income
• Local resources reproduction assessment for
  ensuring system sustainability

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Involvement of various stakeholders
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1- Identification

• Assess the potentialities of the product
  specificity, reputation and link to the
  territory? Not all products can be a GI one!
• Raise awareness of local actors and producers

Success factor Develop a collective approach
among the value chain in order to share a common
vision and strategy for the product and
networking with and external actors to benefit
from their technical or scientific support
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2-Qualification

• Defining the product and setting up
• the rules of the GI writing the Code of
  Practice.

• Elements for the Code of Practice
• Description of the product main characteristic
  of the product, ingredients and raw materials
  description of the process
• Demonstration of the link between the specific
  quality and the territory
• Delimitation of the production area
• Name of the product and labeling rules
• Control plan and verification system

Success factor The writing of the Code of
practice is a key-step requiring a Participatory
approach to share a common view and often
mediation to agree on certain criteria. The GI
organization is the key.
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3-Remuneration
The GI organization plays a major role in the GI
strategy Rules and control, Representativity and
internal coordination Production and marketing
Services

• Marketing steps
• Knowing the market consumers demand,
  requirements
• 2) Targeting focusing on a segment (e.g urban,
  nostalgic, connoisseurs)
• 3) Choosing the channels of distribution
• 4) Promotion and communication, including
  labeling and guarantees

Success factors ?Taking into account the
market and its requirements in the
qualification phase ? involving all the value
chain actors in strategy ? Reducing the costs
thanks to the collective action.
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4-Reproduction
Assessment for sustainable GIs
EconomicIncrease of the sales? Improvement of
the income? Impact on the local economy?
SocialExclusion?Fair redistribution of the
added-value?Equality gender issues? Improvement
of the self-esteem of the producers?Recognition
and preservation of traditions and know-how,
Improved local networks and collaboration?

• EnvironmentalSustainable management of natural
  resources?
• Impact of the GI on biodiversity?Risk of
  overexploitation ?

Success factor Taking into account the
sustainability from the beginning, evaluating it
along the time, and make the CoP evolve as
necessary
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Outline

• Background
• What is a Quality linked to Geographical origin
• Lessons learnt
• Conclusions

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Success factors of implementation

• Local People, Product and Place
• A specific quality for an identified demand and
  market
• A code of practice written thanks to a
  participatory process
• Producers organization and involvement of all
  value chain actors
• Sustainable approach recognition of
  human-cultural and natural resources in the code
  of practice
• National / Institutional
• Coordination between sectors and levels
• Supportive policies, empowerment, guidelines
• Information to producers and consumers

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Conclusion

• Complexity of the GI schemes
• challenging but promising as a tool for
  sustainable development
• New area and lots of questions and issues
• Sharing views, experiences and knowledge, raising
  awareness (supply and demand sides)
• Technical support and capacity building for rural
  development

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• www. foodquality-origin.org

Thank you
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• Case studies in Asia

• Guide FAO-SinerGI
• LINKING, PEOPLE, PLACES AND PRODUCTS A guide for
  promoting quality linked to geographical origin
  and sustainable geographical indications