Between Tradition and Sustainable Innovation: Empirical Evidence for the Role of Geographical Indications

The role of innovation without disrupting tradition is gaining importance within GI research. Next to maintaining competitiveness within niche markets, the topic of sustainability is put into focus by different GI stakeholders. This paper aims to shed light on the combination of tradition and innovation and their effects on long-term sustainability. A new framework was developed combining the concept of a GI entrepreneur, the TISyn model, and the Triple-Bottom line. It can be used for holistic research of GI agricultural productions while focusing not only on economic factors but also on social and environmental ones. Three protected designations of origin (PDO) products were researched as case studies using the framework- Stromberger Pflaume (Germany), Carciofo Spinoso di Sardegna (Italy), and Vlaams Brabantse tafeldruif (Belgium). The selection of these cases was based on a qualitative content analysis of GI documents, with the possibility of comparing different national and institutional contexts, while using products belonging to the same product class (fruits and vegetables). Furthermore, the selection was refined by the available empirical material and the willingness and ability of GI stakeholders to engage in topics investigated here. The comparative case study approach allows us to qualitatively assess differences between the dimensions of sustainability within different contexts. Thus, it will help build a new theory around the synergy of tradition and innovation within the GI scheme. The results can support new GI policy designs and their implementation, which may benefit all the GI stakeholders in the long-run.