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Daniele Giovannucci, Elizabeth Barham, Richard Pirog () Defining and Marketing ‘Local’ Foods:Geographical Indications for U.S. Products

Paper, The Journal of World Intellectual Property

Document:
defining_and_marketing_local_foods_article_giovannucci_barham_pirog_review_local_draft.pdf

Abstract
What are local foods? If you do not know your local producer, then how can you know whether the product you are purchasing is local? These questions are at the heart of an emerging debate in the U.S. about authenticity and the value of local eating. From the menus of its elite restaurants, to urban farmer markets, to the procurement strategy of its largest corporation, ‘local’ is fast becoming an important food category in the U.S. Several distinct forces drive its popularity and yet, in the absence of certain credence attributes to assure what indeed is local, its future is uncertain.
This paper explores what defines ‘local’ and how the term is protected in trade. It suggests that Intellectual Property protection is underdeveloped to foster local food product designations. Cases in the U.S. illustrate that some mechanisms do exist to ensure the specific provenance of a food but that these present some notable challenges for both producers and consumers. Improving approaches to Geographical Indications in the US, perhaps learning from the sui generis systems in other countries, could further the development, protection, and success of local products.

Keywords: Geographical Indications, small producer; sustainable culture; public good; food miles

Relevance to our study:
The paper looks at the defination of ‘Local’ and how it is protected in trade and the mechanisms used in the US to ensure provenance of a food.

Relevancy on a scale from 1 to 5 = 3

Review status: Finished
Review started on 2009–04–16
Reviewed by Jane Vine?

Comments: