Officials from more than 30 countries gather in Alicante to bolster geographical indication protections

Representatives from more than 30 countries gathered in Alicante on Thursday, November 5, for an international conference aimed at strengthening cooperation on geographical indications, a legal tool used to protect products linked to a specific place and production method.

The two-day meeting, held at the headquarters of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, or EUIPO, was organized by Origen España, the Spanish association of denominations of origin, and oriGIn, a global network for geographical indications. It runs through Friday, November 6, and brings together officials from intellectual property offices, producer groups, regulatory councils and international organizations.

Organizers said more than 600 people followed the opening day of the conference, which focused on how international cooperation can help local producers reach new markets, improve product protection and support rural economies. Speakers also addressed climate change, sustainability, biodiversity loss, rural depopulation and the lack of generational renewal in farming and food production.

Geographical indications, often referred to as GIs, are labels that identify products whose quality, reputation or other characteristics are tied to a particular region. In Europe, the system is widely used for foods, wines and spirits, including products such as cheeses, olive oils and cured meats. Supporters say the system helps preserve traditional production, raise the value of local goods and protect producers from misuse of regional names.

The opening session included remarks from João Negrão, EUIPO’s executive director, Riccardo Deserti, president of oriGIn, Ángel Pacheco, president of Origen España, and Paolo De Castro, Italy’s former agriculture minister and a former member of the European Parliament.

Negrão told attendees that geographical indications can create jobs and support local communities. Pacheco said that despite national differences, GI systems share a common feature: families in rural areas depend on them to preserve traditional production and keep economic activity alive in places that often face population decline.

Deserti said GI producers are operating in a more difficult environment marked by sustainability pressures, climate change, biodiversity loss and concerns over the profitability of farms and food businesses. He said international cooperation on geographical indications needs to move into a new phase with closer coordination among producers, institutions and regulators.

In the keynote address, De Castro described geographical indications as a useful instrument for international cooperation because they allow farmers and producers to work with local communities, promote regional culture and support sustainable development.

The conference program includes four panels over two days. The first day centered on why GI cooperation matters and what producer groups need, particularly in emerging economies. Participants from the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Commission and national intellectual property offices from countries including Spain, France, Switzerland, Croatia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Chile and Thailand took part in the discussions, along with regulatory bodies and producer associations from several regions.

According to the organizers, one of the main goals is to assess the results of GI cooperation projects developed over the last 20 years and use those lessons to design a new generation of initiatives. Several speakers argued that producer-to-producer exchanges, cross-border mentorship and technical assistance have helped smaller or newer GI groups improve governance, market access and product recognition.

Debate on Thursday also focused on practical issues facing producers. Participants discussed how to use technology in quality control, how to make the sector more attractive to younger workers and how to give consumers clearer guarantees about a product’s origin and standards. Organizers said those issues are especially important in countries where GI systems are still developing and producer groups may have fewer financial and institutional resources.

Federico Moncunill, secretary general of Origen España and of the protected geographical indications for Jijona and Turrón de Alicante, said one of the main challenges for future cooperation projects will be the governance of producer bodies. He said GI systems need structures that bring producers together and ensure that their leadership is represented in control and oversight bodies.

Míriam Molina, secretary general of the Idiazabal protected designation of origin regulatory council, said producer associations are essential because they allow smaller GI groups to make their voices heard in places where they could not do so alone. She pointed to cooperative efforts in Spain, including work with the Guardia Civil on fraud cases, as an example of how coordination can strengthen enforcement.

Origen España also used the conference to highlight a concern that has become more visible in retail markets: products that refer to a geographic place on their labels or packaging without having the certification required for a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication. Industry representatives say that practice can confuse consumers and weaken trust in GI systems.

Another aim of the conference is to increase direct contact between producers and institutions. Organizers said that while legal protection is central to geographical indications, the long-term success of the system also depends on how well governments, regulators and consumers understand the economic and cultural role of those products.

The Friday, November 6, sessions are set to expand the discussion beyond agricultural goods to craft and industrial geographical indications, an area that has drawn growing attention in policy circles. The program includes debate on governance, control systems, sustainability, regional development and international recognition, as well as a roundtable on how future cooperation projects should be funded and coordinated.

The conference also includes a technical visit to the regulatory council for the Jijona and Turrón de Alicante geographical indications and to the local nougat museum, giving delegates a closer look at how certification, control and promotion work in a GI product with strong regional identity.

Origen España was founded in 2008 to promote Spanish protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications in the food sector. According to the association, it has 100 members and represents 85.10% of the economic value of Spain’s food-related geographical indications, equivalent to more than €2.1 billion in market value.