Signs identifying quality and origin (SIQO) are confronted with contemporary challenges and an increasingly fast-moving world: climate change, volatile markets, societal expectations of a consumer who is also confronted with a multitude of labels... Their long-term survival depends on their ability to adapt while preserving the specific features associated with each sign, which guarantee their promise to consumers. INAO supports ODGs in these changes.

Climate disruption is becoming more and more palpable, with direct consequences for agricultural activity (increasing scarcity of pastures, prolonged droughts, water shortages, hail episodes, floods, late frosts, proliferation of diseases and pests...). This requires the adaptation of SIQO production and the evolution of practices, while preserving the fundamentals. At the same time, societal expectations are evolving. Consumers are placing their trust in SIQOs, but are demanding guarantees of practices that respect the environment and animal welfare.

To guarantee the sustainability of SIQOs, INAO, in close collaboration with research and professionals, is deploying systems and tools to facilitate the introduction of innovations into specifications, and supporting sectors in their reflections and the concrete implementation of these evolutions.

For example, it allows producers to try out resistant vines in a supervised manner, without losing the benefit of their geographical indication (these are the VIFA, Varieties of Interest for Adaptation Purposes) or to adapt certain points in the specifications to test innovations (Innovation Evaluation Device, DEI).

In addition to these new procedures, the INAO provides ODGs with methods and instruction sheets enabling them to take stock of their sign in terms of sustainability, based on a set of indicators (economic, climatic, environmental and societal) and key points. This enables them to draw up an assessment and highlight the major issues to be addressed in order to engage in strategic thinking around the evolution of their specifications, for example.

This orientation is in line with the changes enshrined in the European Regulation on Geographical Indications, known as REFIT, adopted in 2024, and in which the notion of sustainability of Geographical Indications has been integrated.

With this in mind, the Conseil National des Appellations d'Origine Laitières has developed an approach as part of the "Sustainable PDOs" project. The broad outlines have been incorporated into the so-called "key points" method developed by INAO's Comité National des Appellations Agro-alimentaires. To respond to the imperatives of sustainability and societal expectations, INAO's Comité National des Appellations d'Origine Laitières, Agroalimentaires et Forestières (CNAOP) has produced methodological sheets summarizing its guidelines on the unavoidable developments in PDO practices.

Guides on the sustainability of wine and cider PDOs and PGIs @INAO, 2025
CNAOP methodological guide on societal expectations and sustainability @INAO, 2023

Consult the documents on the "Sustainability "section

BUILD CONSUMER AWARENESS OF SIQOs IN THE CONTEXT OF THE "LABEL JUNGLE"

Surveys show that, overall, SIQOs are recognized by consumers. For example, Label Rouge, Agriculture Biologique and AOP are respectively recognized at 90% for the first two and 75% for the third (source: FranceAgriMer). However, this identification is eroding, particularly among younger consumers.

In addition, the market is becoming more complex, with changing consumption patterns, generational turnover, and above all the multiplication of private labels or brands, which today form a veritable "label jungle".
In addition, civic demands are not always reflected in consumer behavior.

Example of SIQO communication

Consult INAO's communication materials