Leading Countries by GI-Tagged Products in 2024
Geographical Indication tag to indigenous and native products is an imperative step in order to promote a product as well as its nationality which the general public seems to miss out on when purchasing these commodities.
Impact of Geographical Indication tag on products
While the term Geographical Indication or GI has been around, it has gained traction in recent years due to misuse of the products which have been granted exclusivity to a particular region by law and can be sold only with the GI tag of that region. GI tags, a type of Intellectual property, has gained immense prominence as it secures the indigeneity of the product by simultaneously improving rural economy through upliftment of the existing community through creation of jobs.
GI tags have an added bonus of surging employment opportunities as connoisseurs would want to spend their money on original products. France’s GI-tagged Champagne industry is directly responsible for the creation of 15,000 jobs as well as additional 120,000 jobs during the harvest season of the grapes.
In India the GI tagged Darjeeling tea industry employs 51,000 workers in order to earn their livelihood. Across the European Union region, GI tagged products contribute to approximately $21.6 billion to EU’s GDP and account for $80.74 billion in annual sales with 20% of revenue being earned through export of GI-tagged products.
Key Countries with the highest GI tagged products
In order to protect their native products from being wrongfully claimed, countries globally are increasingly safeguarding their products by attaching a Geographical indication tag to them. As of 2023, China is leading with a total of number of 9,785 products native to this region which have been GI-tagged. In 2024, Hengxian Jasmine tea, which is one of the top selling GI tagged products from China had an export volume of 70,764 metric tons.
Many countries belonging to the European also place on the list. Germany came in second with 7,586 products indigenous to the region coming under the GI tag. The country exported 50,000 metric tons of the famous GI-protected Nuremberg Bratwurst sausages prepared from minced pork or beef. Hungary ranked 3rd on the list with 7,290 products being stamped with the GI tag. Kaloscai Paprika a vibrant red chilli which has a distinct sweet and spicy flavour reached an export volume of 8,600 metric ton.
Following behind were other countries from the European Union such as Italy with its Grana Padona cheese ,known for its grainy texture, being exporting at a volume of 103,419 metric ton globally in 2024 and France’s globally renowned Champagne amounting to 114,900 metric tons in export volume.
Switzerland’s very own GI-tagged Emmental Cheese undergoes strict production regulations such as being prepared from raw Swiss cow milk had an export volume amounting to 10,289 metric ton. The country ranked 6th as it had a total number of 4,954 products coming under the protection of Geographical Indication. Turkiye’s famous Aydin figs which due to their honey-like taste has gained prominence globally had an export volume of 278,000 metric tons in 2024. South Korea ranked 9th on the list with Gim seaweed which is usually roasted and served as garnishing on ramen has due to K- pop culture had massive demand. The export volume for this GI certified delicacy was 9,217 metric tons.
Geographical Indication in the limelight
India had a mere 430 products which were protected by the GI tag. Prada, a luxury fashion label, recently came under the lens as the high end clothing brand unveiled the GI-protected Kolhapuri chappal from the state of Maharashtra in India as “leather sandals”. This move faced severe backlash from the Indian government as the iconic footwear has centuries old heritage and is made painstakingly by local Indian artisans.
Prada on facing the ire of the Indian population soon released a statement stating the footwear’s Indian connection. The Kolhapuri chappal has an annual production volume of 600,000 pairs with more than 30% being exported abroad. Another GI protected food product namely Basmati Rice which had faced similar issues in the past now has an export volume of 19.86 million metric tons.
Conclusion
Countries have potential to monetize their GI tagged products thereby having complete control over the cost and pricing of the commodity native to their region. This allows for fair trade practices along with providing employment to individuals who are involved in the process. In the case of handicrafts local artisans get a chance to showcase their skills which results in protecting the handicraft being lost in time and further surging the economy of the country with export of the product.
