AGENDA

The conference agenda is available here.

WEBCAST

Live transmission of the event will be accessible from 18 to 20 February at FAO webcast page (Red and German rooms).

The webcast of the event starts at 9h00 of 18 February.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign indicating a tradeable good has qualities related to its specific place of origin. GIs have also enormous potential for the preservation of cultural identity and heritage and the protection of traditional know-how, as well as a positive impact on livelihoods and the environment.

For more than fifteen years the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been working with partners to leverage the potential of geographical indications for the sustainable development of all actors along value chains.

Following a first edition organized in Montpellier, France, in 2022, the aim of this 2025 conference is twofold. On the one hand, the event will provide a platform for discussion on latest research, best practices, innovations and cooperation to be deployed within the framework of GIs while fostering cross-sectorial exchange among universities, professional networks and the policy sector. On the other hand, the key outcomes of the conference will feed into ways of cooperating and taking action in line with the priorities established during the G7 in September 2024. Practitioners, public authorities, development organizations and other stakeholders will gather together to contribute knowledge and expertise from all over the world.

KEY TOPICS

Innovation is central to all dimensions of GI systems, and in particular to improving their sustainability performance at the economic, social, environmental and governance levels, and their adaptability to multiple challenges. Among other topics, the conference will focus on local and international cooperation on GIs, and innovation for sustainable development.

How do GI systems facilitate local innovation that supports the link to origin and sustainability? With the changes occurring at global level, what are the innovations needed in the areas of sustainability, climate change and biodiversity, markets and technological development? Is it possible to replicate and implement GI innovations outside their geographical area? How to support the application of innovations for the improved sustainability of GIs? And how to strike a balance between innovations and traditions in the context of geographical indications?

ORGANIZERS

The conference is organized by FAO and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), in collaboration with the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement  (CIRAD), Fondazione Qualivita, the Organization for an International Network of Geographical Indications (oriGIn), OriGIn Italia– Associazione Italiana Consorzi Indicazioni Geografiche, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE IPI). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) of the Republic of Italy is also sponsoring the event.