Chile: promoting and protecting local development

During May we notice the force of the Chilean program ‘Origin Mark’ (Sello de Origen). The program has been developed by the Ministry of Economy together with INAPI --aiming to promote and protect typical products and thus, endorse local development.

Denomination of Origin (DO)
In Chile, DO “identifies a good as originating in the country , region or locality of the country, when its quality , reputation or other characteristic it is essentially attributable to its geographical origin , taking into account especially the natural and human factors that mark the characterization of the product.

On May 8th two products were postulated to be recognised with this system i.e. DO:
1.- Bordados(embroidery) Isla Negra
Textiles and textile products created by the farmers’ and fishermen’s women who have become internationally known artists and their achievements have marked a milestone in Latin American art.
2.-Artesanias (crafts) in Coral Juan Fernandez
Craft produced with black coral Juan Fernandez which is located between 100 and 300 meters deep in the sea.

Both applications have been processed at INAPI and if granted, it is “expected to contribute to the rescue of local culture, increase the demand for these products and encourage the establishment of new tourist routes in these regions. “

Geographical Indication (GI)
GI refers to “the place or region of production, mining, farming or processing, which determines the specific qualities of the product from that place or region. Recognition should be credited for their reputation, quality or any relevant product characteristic attributable to their place of cultivation, extraction or production. Therefore, there must be a specific ‘link’ between the products and their original place of production, which is reflected in the name by which the product stands.”

On Monday May 12th INAPI received an application for GI for the agricultural product 'Aceitunas (olives) Azapa Valley', prepared in four different ways, as traditional practices of the particular area of the country .

The president of the Association of olive growers attended accompanied by other member from different institutions and associations. Moreover, the application was sponsored by the Foundation ‘Hacer Chile’ (Make Chile) and a social entrepreneur, who have collaborated with the Association of Olivocultores Azapa Valley to organize and raise this request for recognition.

If accepted, these three applications together with the recently submitted for watermelons (previous post here) will join Limón de Pica (lemon), Atún de Isla de Pascua (tuna), cangrejo Dorado de Juan Fernández (crab), Sal de Cachuil-Boyeruca-Lo Valdivia (salt), Alfarería de Pomaire (pottery) and, Dulces de la Ligua (sweets).

Source INAPI ( here for the DOs and here for the GI).