Perspective Place-Based Designations, Eden Kinkaid

PERSPECTIVE DESIGNATIONS EDEN DESIGNATIONS AND CERTIFICATION IN A GLOBALIZED FOOD SYSTEM Eden is a candidate in Geography in the School of Geography , Development , and Environment at the University of Arizona . research focuses on local and heritage food in Arizona and engages themes of place , development , and certification . Eden also conducts research on the impacts of the pandemic on system of southern Arizona . 148 DESIGNATIONS

Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Explain the emergence of designations as a response to and product of the globalization of food . Discuss the rise of certification within contemporary trends in governance . Review the role of designations in strategies of rural development . Identify critiques and shortcomings of nations . INTRODUCTION GLOBALIZATION AND THE PLACELESS FOOD SYSTEM What is the meaning of place in an increasingly globalized food system ?

Do the particular landscapes and cultures of food duction continue to matter in a food system premised on mity , standardization , and ?

Given the steady rise of designations for food around the world , it may be too soon to claim that place no longer matters in our global food system . nations , like the French appellation ( trolled designation of origin ) system have long existed to authenticate that certain products originate from their regions and are produced using traditional practices . These systems rely on the concept of idea that the specific qualities of a product are linked to the environmental and cultural characteristics of its region of production . Since the EDEN 149

, internationally recognized designations , like Geographical Indication ( GI ) have become part of global and food governance , or governance . These continue to be taken up with enthusiasm around the world as a way of inserting place back into the global food tem . This brief overview examines designations with a focus on three key topics the globalization of food systems , as a technique of governance , and the role of designations in rural development . It then turns to a discussion of the critiques of designations . While the term designation covers a range of labels and projects , the focus here is on internationally recognized systems , like and GI . While it is difficult to make any hard and final claims about the impacts of designations , it is clear that they have illuminated place as a terrain of in our food systems , making them an important topic for food scholarship . THE GLOBALIZATION OF FOOD The industrialization and globalization of food systems have transformed the places and landscapes where food is produced . These transformations have resulted in a placeless food system in which food products are standardized , anonymized , and connected from the landscapes , seasons , and sites of their duction . Yet these processes of industrialization and globalization have not proceeded without resistance . Rather , consumers and broader social movements have resisted the of agriculture by asserting the right to know where their food comes from and by honoring regional food and cultural traditions . 150 DESIGNATIONS

It is in this context that We have seen the global expansion of designations , through which a particular food Tequila or only legally refer to products produced Within a historical region of production using traditional methods . These designations not only link foods to particular places but are premised on the idea that place is what gives particular foods their characteristic tastes and ( the concept of ) strive to reinforce the and meanings of place , but also serve to limit what producers from that place can do to innovate and transform their practices . Figure A packaged Camembert de ( source , via Commons ) Given this connection to tradition and place , are thus seen as a counterpoint to the globalization of food . Along these lines , and describe designations as a source of resistance against the effects of EDEN 151

less food Similarly , argues that based designations offer opportunities to retrieve history , inscribe locality , and facilitate resistance against global For these scholars , connecting food with place is seen as a means of countering the processes and impacts of globalization . AUTHENTIC FOODS THE RISE OF CERTIFICATION While designations can be understood as a response to the globalization of agriculture , they are , like other forms of certification , also very much a product of the of agriculture . The rise of certification systems for food products is part of the complex shifts that have occurred as the governance of food and agriculture has become globalized . To understand how certification has emerged and , we need to understand this broader context of governance the institutions , rules , and regulations that shape the production and trade of food and agricultural products . As the food system has become more globalized , new forms of governance have emerged to regulate the production and trade of food . Power to regulate food and agriculture have shifted away from states , and toward global governing bodies like the World Trade Organization . These institutions set standards for food quality and safety that shape the rules of international trade in food . As global governing bodies attempt to harmonize national standards to facilitate international trade , global have increasingly come to shape the production of food across the globe . certifications are one such standard that has emerged to designate and authenticate specialty that are produced in particular places ( GI , or in . and 2008 , 2011 , 2044 . 152 DESIGNATIONS

ways ( organic , fair trade ) Because consumers can not verify the origins or qualities of food produced around the globe , these standards serve to guarantee the quality of foods on the global market . These processes of certification have also emerged in response to a demand for and authentic foods that have particular environmental , social , and cultural values embedded within them . The emergence of new forms of consumer and education , and other lifestyles , and various food movements have bolstered the demand for and authentic foods . Because these foods carry a price premium , it is necessary to certify the claims they make that differentiate them from generic commodities . How can I be assured that my Camembert cheese is an authentic product of Normandy , rather than a case of false advertising ?

Here , certification systems like and GI have emerged as a way to support the claims being made by food producers , while ensuring transparency , authenticity , and quality in globally traded food products . In this way , We can understand based designations as both a response to the impacts of a food system and a product emerging from the context of global governance and trade . CAPTURING VALUE RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND What are the benefits of designations ?

In addition to authenticating the origin of a food product , are promoted for their potential to protect rural cultures and bolster local and regional economies Because designations add value to a product , they produce price that are ( ideally ) captured by producers and thus support . et al . 2014 . EDEN 153

agrarian livelihoods ( although this is not always the case ) Beyond adding value to food products , designations are often part of efforts to promote rural landscapes and heritage through forms of tourism focused on agriculture and rural life , like . In this sense , designations port the marketing of both products and places they highlight a region unique agrarian and culinary heritage and help mote it as a tourist destination . For many regions around the world , and gastronomic tourism are seen as for rural development that can support , rather than erase , locally specific forms of food , farming , and culture . While the histories and meanings of development vary regionally around the world , designations like Geographic Indication have been seen as potentially contributing to forms of rural and agricultural economic development in both the Global North and Global South . In the Global North , has come to play a significant role in rural economies as these regions have transitioned from production to consumption . The term consumption landscape describes how some rural landscapes have become less oriented toward commodity food production and have shifted to more diversified , activities , including tourism and In this context , has been seen as a strategy for rural and farm diversification , through which rural areas can support social goods including the protection of agricultural landscapes and agrarian cultural heritage . In the Global South , designations have similarly been seen as a way to promote biodiversity and cultural traditions , and , critically , as a means for increasing export revenues , launching a product into global circulation , and promoting In both , by . 2010 . Woods 2009 , 2010 . 154 DESIGNATIONS

marketing the landscapes , products , and places of food tion , farmers and other stakeholders seek to capitalize on the agricultural heritage of regions while connecting them to new economic circuits . However , given the different histories and meaning of development in the Global North and Global South , it is important to attend to broader cultural , and historical when evaluating the potentials of designations in any given place . IMPLICATIONS As previously discussed , proponents of designations argue that they can counter the impacts of globalization , support local food economies , contribute to rural development , protect cultural heritage , and provide various other cultural and benefits . Yet others remain critical of how well based designation and other forms of certification can accomplish these ambitious goals . In what follows , two critiques of designation are considered ( a ) that it reproduces dominant modes of governance , and ( that it duces uneven development . and market solutions One of the major critiques of designation as a form of certification is that it can reproduce and practices . What does this mean ?

refers to a philosophy and practice of governance that emerged in the 19705 in Europe and the United States , and which remains dominant today across the globe . Premised on the primacy of the market as a regulator of social approaches emphasize privatization , and other forms of as solutions to social and environmental . Allen 2006 . EDEN 155

, entailing a shift in power from state to According to doctrine , social and environmental problems are best solved through solutions . For example , in the case of air pollution , a , solution would entail trading the right to pollute by buying and selling credits ( the right to pollute a given quantity ) on the market . An example of a approach would be enforcing emissions laws through state agencies . Forms of certification , including , are part of this trend in governance . Instead of addressing the systemic problems of our food system through regulations , reform , or social movements , approaches like food labelling leave it up to the market and consumers to make socially and environmentally conscious choices ( by paying a price premium ) From this perspective , solving the problems of our globalized industrial food system becomes the ity of consumers , rather than the responsibility of the food and agricultural industry or the state . According to critics like man , certification does not actually challenge this system rather , it merely allows privileged consumers to pay their way to healthier , more ecological , more socially just , and more authentic food , all while leaving the system intact . Other ars argue that food labels can spur on collective action and serve as a point of resistance to the logics of a globalized food Understanding designations and other forms of certification as both a symptom of and a response to governance is key to evaluating its strengths and as a strategy of governance and rural ment . Harris 2010 . 156 DESIGNATIONS

Uneven Other critics of certification point to how these strategies can produce benefits that are unevenly shared . First , the narratives underwriting these that rely on ideas of tradition , place , and be constructed in ways that valorize certain producers and practices while excluding others . This occurs as various actors attempt to control narratives of place and tion to suit their interests and ensure that they can claim the value produced by designations . Second , the benefits of designations and other forms of food certification , like price premiums , may flow to some more than others , and thus can reproduce unequal social For example , 201 ) describes how attempts to secure a GI for a traditional Indian beverage , ended up benefiting and distributors at the expense of producers of the , who may not even know about the designation and its value . In the case of the GI status of tequila in Mexico , similarly demonstrates how negotiations over the details of the designation , including quality standards , processing protocols , and dynamics between small producers , and have diluted the meaning of the GI designation . describes actors have manipulated production and certification policies in ways that contradict the concept of a GI and negatively affect the overall quality of Further , any kind of designation relies on the demarcation of traditional regions and techniques of duction , thus recognizing some producers as eligible for tion while excluding others . 10 . 2011 . 11 . 2010 . EDEN 157

12 . Figure Jose agave plantation in Tequila , source media , 440 , via Commons ) These problems are not unique to designations but accompany any attempt to produce value through the distinction of labels and processes of certification . points to how all certification systems are built on barriers to entry allow some to benefit from designations while excluding Thus , rather than seeing designations as a panacea to issues of rural development and the problems of a globalized food system , we need to approach these projects cally , with an awareness of both their potentials and limitations . CONCLUSION As this discussion suggests , designations open up complex questions and practical challenges concerning food , globalization , governance , and rural change . This 2007 . 158 DESIGNATIONS

complexity means that there is no single verdict on the impacts or merits of designations as a general approach , nor are there any uniform effects of such designations . Instead , how designations affect particular places and landscapes depends upon how they are pursued that is , by Whom , for whom , and at what scale . This is because designations , like any form of certification , are not simply a technical standard to be implemented , but a strategy of governance located within uneven , cultural , and power relations . To stand their impacts , strengths , and limitations , we must pursue careful empirical research about particular certification projects in specific places . The general problems outlined here can aid us in approaching specific cases of designations with a critical lens and Within their larger historical context . Discussion Questions What is ?

How do claims to a given food from other food products ?

How can designations be understood as both responses to and products of the of food systems ?

In what ways can designations tribute to rural development ?

What are the major shortcomings or critiques of designation as a form of rural ?

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