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Abstract
Geographical Indications (GIs) are names of regions, specific places or, in exceptional
cases, countries, used to describe an agricultural product or a foodstuff (EC 510/2006, Art. 2).
They have received much attention in the last years not only at the European level, where they
stem from, but also at different international forums such as at the World International
Organization (WTO). Being a particular form of intellectual property these certifications
schemes could have the potential to be applied also to non-agrifood commodities or even
services. Furthermore, due to the severe menace of biodiversity loss caused by globalization,
GIs could serve as a tool to promote biodiversity if linked to plant varieties menaced of
disappearance or rare animal species. However, international negotiations to achieve these
purposes are long and results are minimal (REF). For these reasons the purpose of this paper
is to introduce a new stance to the topic of GIs borrowing from the Latin-american
implementation of GIs which in some aspects can be considered quite innovative. In the
remainder of this paper the authors will present a short description of GIs as they are
discussed at different international forums. Further, the innovative implementation of GIs in
Latin America will be illustrated by means of three examples: the Sombrero of Montecristi,
the GIs of a Brasilian technology and science park (TSP) and the cacao Arriba. Eventually,
some conclusions will be presented.