pgi (2)

 10861730681?profile=RESIZE_400xAlcobaça apples are a desireable, old variety of apple grown in Portugal. They are registered as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), which covers production in a small area of the west coast of Portugal. This project developed a method to verify the origin of Alcobaça apples and hence their PGI status using multielement analysis and chemometrics.  “Alcobaça Apples” PGI apple pulp samples, Portuguese PGI and non-PGI areas, as well as different PGI cultivars and clones, were analysed for 23 elements content. Using VIP-PLS-DA (Variable Importance in Projection Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis) on the  multielement signatures, it was possible to verify the origin to the PGI growing areas, and distinguish them from other varieties of apples grown in the same area and different areas.

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5326712490?profile=RESIZE_180x180Foods with names, which are linked directly or indirectly to a designated geographic origin are protected in law by a European based system of protected denomination of origin (PDO) and protected geographic indication (PGI). This study examines whether past protection of GIs through 11 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) has increased trade in them. The answer matters for trade policy, since the protection of at least some GIs has been a red line in EU FTA negotiations. The findings of this study show that that legal protection of GIs in FTAs does not significantly increase trade in them. Hence, the suggested policy implication is that the EU should focus on external promotion of its GIs rather than asking trading partners for stronger legal protection. 

5326802477?profile=RESIZE_180x180Read the full paper here

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