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INAO and INPI in Mexico to promote the concept of geographical indications

From October 2 to 7, 2023, a French delegation traveled to Mexico to take part in a seminar on geographical indications (GIs) and meet with a group of winegrowers from the Querétaro region. The opportunity to raise awareness of the GI concept among our Mexican counterparts, share French and European experience, promote the Geneva Act and define an ambitious bilateral cooperation program.

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This meeting follows on from contacts made between INAO and local professionals at the OIV General Assembly held in Mexico in 2022. A reinforced cooperation action has been set up between the Mexican and French authorities. It involves the INAO and the INPI. The French delegation was made up of Mr. Yvon Bochet, dairy farmer in Beaufortin (Savoie) and President of the ODG of the PDO "Beaufort", Mr. Éric Paul, winemaker in Var and President of the Comité national des Indications géographiques protégées relatives aux vins et aux cidres of the INAO, and Ms. Sarah Mézerette, international affairs assistant in the INAO legal department.

A seminar to demonstrate the interest and potential of GIs

The delegation's visit began with discussions with Mexico's Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), to raise awareness of how a GI is recognized, but also of the legal protection it grants. Technical exchanges on the sanitary quality of cheese and dairy products also took place with the Mexican Dairy Industry Federation (FEMELECHE).

Under the aegis of IMPI, the Mexican Intellectual Property Office, and SADER, but also the French Embassy in Mexico (agricultural advisor) and the French Embassy in the United States (intellectual property advisor), a seminar on GIs took place on October 3 and 4. It demonstrated the benefits of GIs for rural communities, particularly in terms of value-added products, local promotion and agri-tourism. Examples of successful agricultural and non-agricultural GIs were presented, including Beaufort and South American GIs. This was followed by an exchange of best practices to ensure successful recognition as a GI. Discussions focused in particular on the distinction between the trademark system and GIs.

The beginnings of a local GI project, "Vino de Querétaro".

The event concluded with field visits to the wine-producing state of Querétaro, to meet and exchange views with the region's professionals. The delegation was able to see first-hand the ability of producers to organize themselves around a collective industry, and prepare the elements necessary for the future success of a "Vino de Querétaro" GI registration (specifications, delimitation of a terroir...).

Mexico's growing interest in geographical indications

Member of the Lisbon Agreement but not yet a member of the Geneva Act, Mexico now has a number of young legal instruments protecting GIs as a sui generis system. The free-trade agreement negotiated between the EU and Mexico will also strengthen the protection of both European and Mexican GIs. INAO and INPI's efforts to raise awareness of geographical indications have aroused keen interest among our Mexican counterparts, raising the prospect of further fruitful exchanges. The development of a structured local GI policy would be a major step forward for the recognition of official signs of quality and origin at international level.