The Department of Economic and Business Sciences of the University of Parma together with Origin for Sustanability organised from 20 to 22 November 2024, in Parma, an international conference dedicated to the topic of Sustainability in products of origin.
The event, titled “The Role of Origin in the Sustainability of Localised Food Systems“, brought together university researchers, producer groups, and experts from national and international institutions, such as FAO and AREPO, to develop a broad and transversal discussion on the many issues that sustainability poses for typical products and their related production systems.
The first day was dedicated to technical visits to raise awareness of the production realities in the province of Parma that adopt the agro-ecological approach and are included in the PDO supply chains (Pederzani, Ciaolatte, Bergamina, Cantina Cunial, Prosciuttificio San Paolo e Stuard Experimental Farm).
Pictures from visit to Ciaolatte
The experiences on the ground were complemented by a conference in which participants took part in interactive sessions and round tables, actively contributing to the definition of concrete strategies for building resilient and sustainable food systems.
The impact of the new Regulation 1143/2024 was one of the topics discussed, with a dynamic panel made up of representatives from some of the main Italian producers’ groups. They especially presented their opinions and strategies towards sustainability, given that the new EU Regulation introduces the theme of sustainability in the world GI products withthe aim of raising awareness of how these food products contribute to the sustainability oflocal communities and the welfare of consumers.
The new EU Regulation on Geographical Indications also provides a definition of sustainability around which starts to unravel the understanding of sustainability in the Horizon Europe project GI SMART. This project aims to measure the sustainability of all European PDOs and PGIs in order to provide policy makers and producer groups with a tool for self-assessment of the sustainability of production systems linked to the production of origin.
The forum in Parma gave an opportunity to present the project. Dr Armelle Mazé (INRAE), coordinator of the project, guided participants through the main 4 Research focuses of the project and its objectives. Francesca Alampi (AREPO), presented the GI SMART community platform and the possibility for stakeholders to be involved and engage in the project through it.
The exchange began in the plenary on GI SMART, continued in the afternoon during a Workshop titled “Shaping New Geographical Indications: a GISMART Perspective”, moderated by Prof. Irene Canfora (UniBa) and Francesca Alampi (AREPO).
The workshop allowed to bridge the GI SMART research with the legal framework created by the new regulation, focusing on the impact of the definition of sustainability and sustainable practices within the regulation.
With for contributions from Mr Domenico Cristallo (UniBa), Ms Camilla Gernone (UniBa), Ms Cristina Vaquero Piñeiro (Roma Tre) and Márk Maró Zalán (Corvinus University), participants delved into how introducing sustainability for GIs can affect competition law and strategies of producers groups whether they should introduce it in the product specifications. Furthermore, the debate focused on how GI producer groups can effectively communicate sustainability practices to consumers, but also on whether GIs can become a driver for innovation without compromising heritage. Finally, looking at the relationship with consumers, participants exchanged on consumer behaviour and market strategy for GI products in the context of national identity through the example of pálinka in Hungary.
Programme of the conference available here.
Presentations and contributions available here.
