Research on the Evolutionary Game of Quality Governance of Geographical Indication Agricultural Products in China: From the Perspective of Industry Self-Governance

Clarifying stakeholder demands and establishing an efficient quality governance system are key to geographical indication development. Current frameworks focus on government oversight, neglecting industry self-governance through associations. A four-party evolutionary game model—production organizations, governments, associations, and consumers—was developed to explore the impact of self-governance on quality. Results show association-led self-governance reduces government burdens and improves efficiency. Its success depends on government support and fair interest distribution. Additionally, the evolutionary system exhibits two optimal equilibrium points at different stages of geographical indication development. Even under relatively relaxed supervision by local governments, the governance system remains functional during the mature development phase. Lastly, a reputation mechanism incorporating consumer participation can effectively shape the decision-making processes of production organizations, while the costs associated with governance participation and complaints play a critical role in influencing consumer strategy choices.