Leveraging Geographical Indications Environment & Sustainability (GIES)

Beijing – Nearly twenty country OCOP focal points from governments, research institutions and FAO representations in five OCOP countries in Asia and the Pacific (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea) gathered together in China for an outstanding program of International Capacity Building Workshop on Technology Transfer on Geographical Indications Environment & Sustainability (GIES) for One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Implementation in the Asia-Pacific Region (hereafter, "The Workshop").  

The ten-day Workshop was co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR/CAS). IGSNRR/CAS hosted this event which was led by Prof. Chuang Liu, Director of GCdataPR, Professor of IGSNRR/CAS and Principal Investigator of GIES Program, and Vice-Chair of FAO’s Regional Organizing Group on OCOP implementation in Asia and the Pacific. The Workshop was officially opened by Prof. Xiaohan Liao, Professor of IGSNRR/CAS and Team Leader of GIES, and Dr. Xuan Li, Senior Policy Officer and Regional OCOP Coordinator in FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific who highlighted the opportunity to leverage GIES as an innovative open science solution tracing the geographical origin of special agricultural products for OCOP Implementation in Asia and the Pacific and contribution to achieving the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The Workshop was co-chaired by Professor Chuang Liu and Dr Xuan Li. To equip participants with theoretical and practical knowledge and application of GIES for SAPs, this comprehensive capacity building Workshop included three parts: 
1) Part I: Green Agriculture Forum in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province of China from 14-16 August 2023, including a joint exhibition of 23 special agricultural products on GIES cases and OCOP products from participating countries, on the occasion of “China Green Low Carbon Innovation Conference, GLCC” co-organized by Chinese Association for Science and Technology,  Ministry of  Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Government of Zhejiang Province of China, 15-16 August, 2023; 
2) Part II: Show Case and field visit, Feng County Case in Feng County, Jiangsu Province of China from 17-18 August 2023; and 
3) Part III: Capacity Building on Technology Transfer on GIES for OCOP Implementation in Asia and the Pacific in IGSNRR/CAS headquarters in Beijing from 19-22 August 2023 giving in-depth knowledge on how to use open science technology to assess the applicability of a geographic products as GIES. 

This workshop is a tangible product of FAO’s partnership with IGSNRR/CAS, under the FAO’s flagship initiative on OCOP in Asia and the Pacific region. The Workshop generated fruitful outcomes: 
1) OCOP participants gained the first-hand knowledge, technology and practical experience on GIES through a comprehensive study-tour and in-situ field visits in China. Participants was impressed by GIES methodology which extends beyond basic scientific research and focuses on ecological natural products by using open science, a true game changer in bridging the science, technology and innovation gaps. 
2) OCOP participants are excited that the innovative solution of GIES can be widely applicable for all types of SAPs, including but not limited to the nominated SAP, and actively reflected on how GIES could be applied for SAPs in respective OCOP countries. A few countries were already setting the plan on how to apply GIES for their nominated OCOP as well as other SAPs products in their countries.
3) OCOP participants actively contributed the specific activities on capacity building, knowledge sharing and technology transfer for future collaboration framework through of Memorandum of Understanding between FAO and IGSNRR/CAS for the OCOP countries in Asia and the Pacific. It sets the grounds for a five-year cooperative framework between FAO and IGSNRR/CAS with a prospect to benefit all interested OCOP participating countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Leveraging GIES to support the Implementation of OCOP

OCOP was launched by FAO in September 2021 to support the member countries in the transformation of agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable through the sustainable development of special agricultural products (SAPs). SAPs are defined as agricultural products with unique qualities and special characteristics associated with geographical locations, farming practices and cultural heritages. SAPs are closely related, but not limited to, to products featuring Geographical Indication (GI), which is a sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are attributed to the place of origin. 

This comprehensive Workshop was organized to build capacity and transfer technology freely to OCOP countries on GIES developed by IGSNRR/CAS. By using cutting-edge open science technology (e.g. GIS and remote sensing, Internet of Things), GIES applies to a wide range of SAPs in distinct geographic origins, irrespective of agro-ecological zones, through a traceable code based on rigorous scientific assessment. GIES uses a participatory approach that makes scientific data easily accessible so that GIES information can be utilized by all stakeholders, including consumers, academia and research experts, policy makers, local farmers and the business community. It has proven effective in accessing high-end markets and generating higher revenues; in return, it has greatly improved the livelihoods of local communities engaged in SAPs. Three types of geographical products fall within the scope of GIES application: 1) geographical indications (GI products), 2) geographically specific products (potential GI), and 3) geographically traditional-civilized products (potential GI), which have shared scope of SAPs under OCOP. The international participants were excited by this eye opening GIES technology for OCOP SAP products.