Abstract
Geographical Indications (GIs) are widely considered as tools to contribute to sustainability (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—FAO, 2009; 2017), if established and well managed. While the literature may not always agree on the positive effects of GIs in all sustainability dimensions (e.g., economic, social, and environmental), there is evidence that engaging GI producers in a sustainability strategy can maximize their contribution to different components of sustainable development. FAO and oriGIn developed the sustainability strategy for GI (SSGI) to support GI producers and their associations so that they could engage in a place-based and participative approach in order to generate concrete progress and results. This paper presents original research for building both a framework and database for the selection and use of relevant sustainability indicators for GIs. A number of SSGI principles have guided the work throughout an iterative process for reviewing, selecting, and improving relevant indicators, while the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) has provided the structure to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other widely used and recognized sustainability frameworks. As a result of this work, a database of 372 robust sustainability indicators that are relevant to GIs have been characterized to facilitate their use by practitioners. The discussion highlights the importance of the place-based approach, and the participative, inclusive process that represents the key to empowerment and the ability to develop alliances. It also focuses on action, and the need to strengthen both internal and external communication.
Highlights
Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) was selected as the best foundation for Geographical Indications (GIs) sustainability in terms of credibility (SAFA is backed by the United Nations with multi-stakeholder support; it is science-based with well-developed tools), structure and taxonomy, value chain coverage, alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and frameworks used by key brands and retailers
This iterative indicator review resulted in a dynamic database, allowing users to choose the most relevant indicators according to the specific needs of the GI involved, following the priorities defined in the first stage of the strategy
Most of the conceptual work has been completed through the review of existing frameworks and indicators that are relevant to GI sustainability and built on the key principles of the sustainability strategy for GI (SSGI)
Summary
In the effort to contribute to and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Which form part of the international community’s 2030 Agenda, territorial approaches combined with value-chain processes were identified as powerful drivers of necessary rural transformations [1]. When a local group of producers establishes and manages a geographical indication (GI), it can be used as a tool to contribute to the increasing of the sustainability of their production system by promoting a high-quality product linked to origin. Local traditions will be preserved, natural resources protected, and the conditions to ensure fair income for producers will be provided [2].
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