IT & ICT in livestock

Geographical Indications (GI- Tags ) for Livestock Products of India

March 8, 2023

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Geographical Indications (GI- Tags ) for Livestock Products of India

A GI or Geographical Indication is a name or a sign given to certain products that relate to a specific geographical location or origins like a region, town or country. Using Geographical Indications may be regarded as a certification that the particular product is produced as per traditional methods, has certain specific qualities, or has a particular reputation because of its geographical origin. Geographical indications are typically used for spirit drinks, foodstuffs, agricultural products, handicrafts, and industrial products.

GI Tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorized users are allowed to use the popular product name. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.

The GI tagging system is very less adopted by the Indian businesses and entrepreneurs. That is why we find very less GI tagging product or services registered so far in India. As far as food is concern there is huge opportunities to undergo for the GI tagging, a number of traditional and original food stuffs we have in India. Both public and private players need to secure the originality of the food stuffs. Since Indian food is very much demanded across the globe, it is very much advisable to register maximum Indian food under this GI tagging system.

This G. I. Act (Registration and Protection) has enforce on 15th September 2003. G.I. Act descries the goods belongs to agricultural, natural goods or manufactured goods suitable to apply to G.I. tag. Geographical Indication office located at Chennai and the registrar of the office takes care of all GI application. GI protection is given for ten years which can be renewed.

The organization that approves and regulates GI Tag:

Geographical Indications are covered as a component of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. At the International level, GI is governed by the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO’s) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 which came into force with effect from 15th September 2003. The first product in India to be accorded with GI tag was Darjeeling tea in the year 2004-05.

Benefits of GI Tags

Advantages of GI tagging:

Legal Status and security to G.I. in India;
Safe guards to unauthorized utilization of an enlisted geographical indications by others;
Preserves origin of the product and protection in other WTO part nations.
For marketing and branding of the product and services.

The Geographical Indication registration confers the following benefits:

Legal protection to the products
Prevents unauthorised use of GI tag products by others
It helps consumers to get quality products of desired traits and is assured of authenticity
Promotes the economic prosperity of producers of GI tag goods by enhancing their demand in national and international markets

Significance of GI Tags

A geographical indication right facilitates those who have the right to use the indication to prohibit its usage by a third party whose product does not conform to the applicable standards. However, a protected GI does not permit the holder to forbid someone from making a product using the same approaches as those set out in the standards for that indication.

Did you know India has the maximum number of GI tags for foods and agriculture produce! GI (Geographical Indication) tag is basically a measure, which defines the region of origin of a food or agricultural produce. It further signifies the origin of a product as an intellectual property of that region. What makes it so important is that the GI tag of one country cannot be claimed by other countries.

You will be amazed to know that India has amassed huge fame in the International platform with around 365 GI tags. GI Tags represent geographical indication of a food, spice or a natural resource that represents a particular region.

The concept of GI tag was introduced in the year 2013 and it was given to foods, natural and agricultural produce and handicrafts that gave a region it’s identity. The tags were given under the act of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999.

India has been famous for its rich resources, culinary culture and artistic excellence. Interestingly, till date India has received as good as 365 GI tags and the number of foods, spices and herbs have topped the list. From Black rice to Saffron, here are a few foods that have received the GI Tags and got huge fame across the globe.

ARE GI TAGS HELPING INDIA’S EXPORTS?

For the uninitiated, Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a proof of where the product (which can be natural, agricultural or manufactured) is born or produced. A product is best known by its reputation, characteristics and its quality, which is in most cases dependent on its place of origin. GI status is also believed to be the oldest form of Intellectual Property (IP) protection. Some products worldwide with GI tag include Champagne, Feta cheese, tequila, Ceylon tea, Antigua (Guatemalan) coffee, and Kalamata olive. The tag is given to authorised users in a certain country, who can use it exclusively, and no unauthorised person is permitted to use the same. But there’s no foolproof method developed yet that ensures 100% protection to a particular GI tag. Picture this: It has been estimated by the International Trade Centre that every year, about 125% more coffee bags are labelled and exported as ‘Antigua’ than those truly produced in Guatemala!

So how does a GI tag work?

The tag is developed to protect consumers from misleading information and fake products, and producers from having to resort to selling goods for lowered prices. For instance, if someone sells counterfeit Darjeeling tea, he can be taken to court, because that product bears a GI tag in India. But if a seller in Bangladesh markets the fake product in Sudan, you cannot do much as your Darjeeling Tea’s GI tag is not recognised in Sudan. Going back to the Antigua coffee case, outside of Guatemala there is likely to be more coffee marketed as ‘Antigua’ by unscrupulous traders and “one estimate puts this at as much as 300-700% the actual volume produced in Guatemala (Dwijen Rangnekar, 2004; paper titled, ‘The International Protection of Geographical Indications’). That practically implies that GI tags have to be registered country-wise if they are to bear any significance because ‘multilateral GI registration system’ hasn’t been established yet under WTO; except of course in the case of wines and spirits.

As on February 17, 2016, India had 238 products with GI status (with another 270 in the queue for approval) – the most recent being basmati rice. [Despite the filing date being November 26, 2008, basmati rice only got accorded the GI status on February 15, 2016, when the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) instructed Chennai-based Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) to issue a GI tag for the product.]

Number of GI tags in India

India has 320 products as given GI status. Among the products listed there are Tirupati Laddu, Kangra Paintings, Nagpur Orange, Darjeeling Tea, and Kashmir Pashmina. In India, Karnataka has 38 G.I. products, Maharashtra which has 32 G.I. products.

There is a huge task and many food stuffs uncovered and unprotected. There are thousands of traditional food stuffs in India, only but only few are in existence today. We need to utilize the situation for growing demand for Indian traditional food across globe. There is a huge demand for Indian traditional food. GI tagging will protect the origin of our recipes and food stuffs and also helpful to generate employment for Indian food. It India, primarily an agricultural economy with social, cultural, ethnic, food diversities, having thousands of products that would need for a geographical indication. However, the impact of GIs is to protect the Producer’s rights and preservers their interest of the products whether the benefits reaches to the real people or not. In short there is a huge work and task remains covered specific to food stuff GI tagging.

RECOMMENDATION

GI tagging is an essential to protect the original rights of the food stuffs, it is advisable to all food concern people or businesses to register their product. Ø All government agencies related to food stuffs must act sincerely and seriously to protect our food stuffs registering the GI tag. Ø We need more research and study on the same topic in our Hotel management or culinary institute to focus on the subject. Ø We all need to bring forward Indian gastronomical identity by exploring more and more traditional foods from all parts of the country.