Indicações geográficas no Brasil: possibilidades para os produtores inseridos na área de proteção ambiental do Ibirapuitã - RS

Abstract

Agribusiness is an important sector to contribute the Brazilian trade surplus. The European Union and the United States are among the main destinations of agrofood products, taking part in 31.4% and 14.2% out of the exportations, respectively. The consumers, especially the Europeans, have presented themselves more demanding in what concerns farming products for human consumption, due to the nature of these products and the frequent food crisis. Thus, market segmentation based on information about the origin of the product and production process for differentiation and price attribution has become important, due to the fact that farming systems which are scale-based and linked to the production of commodities have become weakened beyond such markets. In this context, an alternative for development for certain regions is to consider regional/local specificities as factors that determine their identity, based on the concept of geographical indications. This scenario presents an opportunity for the farmers located in the APA of Ibirapuitã. Historically, the region is linked to animal production, due to the fact that the natural pastures there found provide a good support for this type of activity, which has marked the tradition, history and culture of the Gaúcho. The natural environment, therefore, characterises certain intrinsically specific attributes for the products that are originated from it, being that an important aspect in Geographical Indications. Thus, the geographical origin system, used in a Protected Designations of Origin or Protected Geographical Indications approach, is an alternative of development through the territorial perspective. This region is inserted in a conservation area legally known for its peculiar characteristics linked to the Pampa Bioma, which legitimizes extensive animal production. The development of a prototype of a system with a geo-referenced database occurred due to the need of obtaining the position of farmers in relation to the borders of the APA of Ibirapuitã. Finally the geographical indications can be used not only as tools to access other markets, but also for agricultural development, in the sense of valuing territories, mainly for small farmers that are strongly linked to their place of origin, history and culture. This space-time relation values the richness of natural, historical and cultural characteristics, i.e., the features which are fundamental for the differentiation of its production. This approach allows the origin of a product and/or its production processes to be valued, and to convert them into a differentiation and value aggregation factor, besides assuring the products identified according to pre-established parameters in what refers mainly to environmental, social and sanitary issues, as an alternative to the new barriers present in today s economical negotiations.