The document delivered to italian Minister of Agriculture.

Today, at the G7 Agriculture, the “Declaration of Ortigia 2024” was delivered to the italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida and the ministers of the international delegations. This act of intent, carried out by Origin Italia thanks to the contributions of the Italian Consortia for the protection of PDO and PGI agri-food production, aims to relaunch the global development of Geographical Indications (GI) and promote international cooperation.
The central themes of the Declaration concern the global relevance of Geographical Indications and the tools for their protection and promotion at an international level, with a crucial role played by the Protection Consortia.

The main objectives of the document include:
– Raise awareness among the Ministers of Agriculture of the G7 countries and other States on the strategic importance of Geographical Indications; – Reaffirm their economic, social and cultural relevance in the territories of reference; – Promote the peculiarities of GIs as tools for rural development at a global level; – Call for greater attention to the issues that generate uncertainty for the future of GIs, in particular their exclusion from duties and tariff and non-tariff barriers; – Urge an international commitment to guarantee the protection and sustainable growth of products linked to the territories.

During the day, the conference "Italian Geographical Indications: A Tool for International Cooperation" was also held, organized by Origin Italia with the support of the Qualivita Foundation and in collaboration with Origin. In the presence of the Director General of FAO Qu Dongyu , the conference laid the foundations for the creation of an international network that monitors the priorities for global cooperation focused on sustainable development related to Geographical Indications.

The comparison revealed how the Protection Consortia represent a development model and an effective reference for cooperation with developing countries, in particular for the skills acquired over time in the fields of protection, marketing and local development.
“In an international context, it is essential to promote Geographical Indications,” said Origin Italia President Cesare Baldrighi . “We thank Minister Lollobrigida who, in her two-year mandate, has elevated GIs to the role of national priority. We hope that she will be able to involve countries around the world in the process of promoting and protecting Geographical Indications, promoting their connection with the territories and countering speculative attempts through international cooperation.”

2/ To be continued