Protection of Australian Regional Names as Food Geographical Indications - South Australian Case Study : Part 2

This is the second of a two-part article series that reports and explains findings from a case study conducted in the South Australian regions of Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. The case study explored whether regional food producers based in those regions consider that Australia should implement a dedicated food Geographical Indications (GI) framework. The first article in the series reported the key findings made from the South Australian case study. This article expands on some of those key findings, providing valuable explanation about how a food GI framework can be tailored to accommodate Australian food industry needs. This information is especially significant at this time given the Australian government’s public consultation on a possible new GI right that could provide GI protection to goods other than wines and spirits. This article reports on the views and opinions of South Australian food producers relevant to the Australian government’s current consideration of a possible new GI right and the implementation of an Australian food GI framework. It provides relevant information for the current policy regarding the connection between product and place, including practical criteria that should be incorporated into an Australian food GI framework to ensure that Australian food GIs are only used on food labels where the food product is clearly connected to the GI place claimed