No Terroir in the Cold? A Note on the Geography of Geographical Indications

Geographical Indications ( GI s) are increasingly important instruments of agricultural and food regulations and are growing as contentious issues in trade negotiations and disputes. GI s can improve welfare but they can also be a protectionist instrument. The EU has the most GI s in the world, but they are concentrated in the south of the EU . Even excluding wine, there are seven times more food GI s per capita in the southern EU Member States than in other EU Member States. This note discusses several factors which may explain the geographic concentration of GI s in the south of the EU .