This article has been written by Tanvitha Reddy Kadasani, a 2nd year BA LLB student of Osmania University College of Law, Hyderabad.
ABSTRACT
Biodiversity conservation is necessary for sustainable growth and use of species and ecosystems. Geographical indications contribute to biodiversity conservation by stressing sustainable methods of production and manufacture. GI related to agricultural products is recognized for favoring more sustainable production systems. Geographical indication plays a part in the strategies to promote sustainable territorial development and conservation of biodiversity. This article explores the role of geographical indication in promoting biodiversity conservation along with the advantages of getting a product GI-recognised. GI helps in recognizing the added value of products attributed to their place of origin and this value becomes the property of the local community that produces this product.
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
The flora and fauna living in the many ecosystems on earth constitute biodiversity. The nature and health of the ecosystem depends on the health of the biodiversity. Conserving biodiversity is important for conserving the ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem ensures the availability of good natural resources like water, good air quality, fertile land, and stable climatic conditions. Biodiversity conservation includes preserving and sustaining species and ecosystems and the performance of essential ecological processes.
There are two types of biodiversity conservation i.e., in situ conservation and ex-situ conservation.
In-situ conservation is the conservation of biodiversity in the natural habitat in their natural ecosystem. On the other hand, ex-situ conservation is the conservation of species outside of their natural habitat. This type of conservation is used to protect endangered species by transferring them from their natural habitat which is no longer supporting them to an artificial ecosystem.
A stable and healthy ecosystem is of utmost importance as humans depend on these ecosystems for survival. For example, a land surrounded by water bodies like Indonesia, the Philippines, etc. are highly dependent on the marine ecosystem for maintaining the nutrition of their population. Such countries need to ensure the sustainable use of water resources and conserve biodiversity to maintain a healthy marine ecosystem.
ROLE OF GI
A geographical indication is a type of protection provided by the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It identifies a product as originating from a specific territorial location, country, or geographic area from where it derives its unique attributes and characteristics. Currently, India has over 465 GI tags. It is a useful tool that promotes the development of production processes and biodiversity management and conservation. Reputation of a product can be built during the process of acquiring GI protection as the process includes testing the product to see if a sustainable production method was used. This reputation may be based on some specific biological or genetic resources, healthy biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, or good agricultural practices that promote the protection of biodiversity.
While GI was not originally intended to protect biodiversity, it does contribute to it based on the implementation practice of the stakeholders and producers. A good example of this is the implementation of GI in France. In France GI is sometimes given based on the particular landscape if it creates a unique characteristic in the product such as agro-biodiversity. Beaufort cheese production is done following a code or practices that provide guidelines that contribute to enhancing biodiversity and maintaining landscapes.
ADVANTAGES OF GI LABEL
There are several advantages of getting a GI label in conserving biodiversity. Enumerating from the above passage the following advantages can be seen for conservation of flora and fauna:
- Ensures sustainable production practices are used, which promotes the conservation of biodiversity.
- Builds product reputation based on the biological resources used and the production practices implemented which provides producers incentive to use sustainable production methods which protect the flora and fauna of the geographical location.
- Alleviate poverty and financial constraints of local communities who develop the product.
- Helps consumers identify goods produced organically and promotes production of organic products reducing production and sale of unauthentic goods that pose adverse impact on the ecosystem.
GI LABELED PRODUCTS
Over 52% of GI registration is seen in fruit crops in India. They include the most number of mangoes, citrus fruits, and bananas, and some elite clone varieties of grapes. 16% of GI label is given to vegetables and 11% to plantation crops which include tea plantations such as Darjeeling Tea and 11% to spices. Further exploring the GI registration of fruits and the importance of tea plantation to geographical indication. The GI of Coorg Orange and Darjeeling tea are discussed below:
Coorg Orange
Coorg Orange is a type of mandarin found in Kodagu as well as Chickmanglur and Hassan districts in the Western Ghats. These places are well known for their coffee crop and the Coorg oranges were almost wiped off due to the disinterest of the farmers. However, the Department of Horticulture of Kartanata filed a GI application for ‘Coorg Orange’. This application contained details about the properties of the fruit, the climate, the soil, etc. in which the Coorge Orange thrived.
The GI registration of Coorge Orange is a testament to the active approach taken by the government. Through the registration of this fruit Department of Horticulture aimed to revive disease-free high-quality crops, bring economic development to the region, and protect the ecosystem of the region where the orange is produced. The DoH transferred the GI to the producers in the locality.
Darjeeling Tea
Darjeeling Tea was the first product to receive a GI tag in 2004. It was given GI registration based on its unique naturally occurring quality and market potential. The tea was planted as an experiment of Chinese variety in the 1800s. It grows at 600-2000 meters above sea level and only about 10 million kilograms of the tea are produced in a year.
A recent study by scientists at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment revealed that tea plantations support biodiversity. Organic farming and the use of native shade trees provide habitat for local species of animals. This protects the biodiversity.
CONCLUSION
While Geographical indications were not originally intended to conserve biodiversity, they still have an impact on the protection and maintenance of the ecosystem as a strategy to promote sustainable production practices. Developing countries are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna that need to be conserved and one way is to protect their ecosystem through sustainable management of resources. GI can ensure sustainable production practices as it creates a reputation for products based on the conservative and organic processes used by the producers. However, more research and proactive approaches are needed from the stakeholders to combine GI and other schemes that can preserve and protect biodiversity.
References:
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