Origin-based products Lessons for pro-poor market development Petra van de Kop, Denis Sautier and Astrid Gerz (eds)

Many foods now carry labels showing where they come from and how they are produced. In Europe – especially in France, Italy and Spain – public policies support this “origin-based” marketing. Labels of origin for wines, cheese, spirits, olive oil and meat help maintaining rural incomes and vitality.

Local products are common in developing countries too. A product’s origin is often seen as an indicator of its quality: people who have moved to one of the growing cities tend to look for foods they know back home. Gradually, local products gain a reputation among a wider group of traders and consumers.

Can regional identity be used to maintain and develop markets for smallholder producers in developing countries?

This book reviews the history of origin-based products and identifies critical issues in registering them. Five case studies – from Benin, Peru, South Africa, Costa Rica and France – provide insights into the opportunities and pitfalls of this type of marketing. They explore whether origin-based labelling can enable smallholder producers to develop new markets, increase their competitiveness and raise their income.

This book is intended for policy makers and practitioners involved in various aspects of pro-poor market development: those interested in developing businesses and markets for smallholders, promoting pro-poor entrepreneurship, and including smallholders in globalizing food systems.

Contents

1 Origin-based marketing: A rural development tool?

Denis Sautier and Petra van de Kop

2 Regional identity: An overview

Petra van de Kop and Denis Sautier

3 Gari Missè in Benin: A local, premium-quality staple

Astrid Gerz and Stéphane Fournier

4 Mantecoso cheese in Peru: Organizing to conquer the national market

Astrid Gerz and François Boucher

5 Rooibos tea, South Africa: The challenge of an export boom

Astrid Gerz and Estelle Bienabe

6 Costa Rican Arabica coffee: Legitimacy for specialty

Astrid Gerz and Jacques Avelino

7 Comté cheese in France: Impact of a geographical indication on rural development

Astrid Gerz and Franck Dupont

8 Conclusions and agenda for action and research

Denis Sautier and Petra van de Kop

Published 2006 by the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) and CIRAD. KIT Bulletin no. 372. 104 pp.

ISBN 90-6832-166-8

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Role of Paul Mundy: Editing