XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

707

The Role and Significance of Geographical Indication As a Tool for the Development and Democratization of Agri-Food. Part I

RC40 Sociology of Agriculture and Food (host committee)

Language: English

This session invites papers that probe the broad theme of Geographical Indication (GI). GI is one of the most debated topics in agri-food. Its relevance rests on the argument that it is a tool for the revitalization of agricultural communities and the production of quality food through the re-appropriation of culture and history in the definition of “local space and practices.” In this context, it has been viewed as an instrument to oppose neoliberal globalization and the ideology and practices of free competition that accompany it. At the opposite side of the spectrum, GI has been criticized for being precisely a tool in the hands of global corporate forces that, through the colonization of the state, have advanced a discourse that promotes corporate interests while appealing to progressive ideals. Accordingly, rather than a process that gives voices and empowers local actors and subordinate groups, GI is seen as an instrument that hampers democratic forms of development. Papers that cover this and other pertinent debates and that address the socio-economic, political and cultural dimensions of GI are welcome. They can be either empirical analyses of the impact of GI application and/or theoretical reflections of the essence and use of this measure. All submitted papers will be considered for inclusion in an edited book to be published by a major international publisher.