The Legal Process of Transformation: Exploring the Interactive Relationship Between Cultural Heritage and Geographical Indications (GIs)

This chapter explores the legal protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) from an international perspective. While the legal elements of GI protection for food products have been discussed extensively, this chapter focuses on how the process of acquiring a GI necessarily affects our understanding of tradition, authenticity, and value in food heritage. In this, the international analysis reveals that the GI system produces property rights that embody (and encourage) singular and authoritative reflections of food heritage. This approach to cultural heritage is in direct contrast to the more permeable and dynamic reality of traditional communities around the world.