Iconic food production – branding of local communities
03 April 2019 - Published by Hein Braaksma
Iconic food production is a production that in market perception is linked to a location. European Mediterranean countries have a very strong tradition for linking food production to branding of regions and communities.
Wine is one category of production where a large variety of districts are defined as the producer of wine with defined qualities, reflecting not only the natural conditions of the soil and land but also culture and traditions in the district. This is the essence of terroir. Cheese and other dairy products are another category of products with a large variety of terroir-brands, and meat products such as ham is yet another category. Based on these traditions, an EU regulation has been defined on protection of geographical indications and designations of origin.