Geographical Indication Products: Economic Power and Cultural Protection

According to 2021 EuroSAT data, geographical indication products command a market worth 200 billion euros worldwide and 70 billion euros in Europe, with their largest markets in Singapore and the United States. Given that their market share within the EU is also considerably high, Türkiye's geographical indication products need to take their place in this market.

In this respect, once geographical indications are effectively protected in Türkiye and supported by an efficient marketing network, tangible economic results are expected to follow.

Illustrated with examples from abroad

(Source: FAO, 2018)

In terms of sales price:

• Tete de Moine cheese (Switzerland): a 4% increase in the domestic market and a 57% increase in export markets.
• Penja pepper (Cameroon): a 120% increase.
• Taliouine saffron (Morocco): a 500% increase.

In terms of production volume and number of producers:

• Kona coffee (USA): a 250% increase in production (1995–2015) and a 36% increase in the number of producers (1991–2012).
• Tete de Moine cheese (Switzerland): a 300% increase in production volume (1986–2014).

Alongside these economic effects, geographical indication products create value, stimulate employment and production, help sustain rural populations and curb migration, and preserve traditional knowledge and cultural values.

However, all of these benefits can only be realized in an environment where imitation is prevented, inspections are carried out properly, and consumers can access trustworthy products. The European Commission has enacted a number of measures in this regard, chief among them preventing the imitation of products on digital platforms and blocking misleadingly registered domain names or trademarks (see the European Commission's regulation of 13 April 2022 on “Geographical Indication Protection for Craft and Industrial Products and Amending”).

On the other hand, in an increasingly global and digital world, keeping food products in particular free from imitation is becoming ever more difficult. Given that the vast majority of geographical indication products are agricultural or food products, it is increasingly important for consumers to have access to reliable information about a product, its producer, and its cultural heritage. Making use of emerging technology for this purpose has therefore become inevitable.

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