The Development Strategy of Agricultural Geographical Indications in China

Abstract

Geographical indication (GI) is one of the intellectual property rights protected by the World Trade Organization. Statistics shows that most GIs are related to agricultural products in China, the development of GIs is of great significance to rural China’s economy. In 2015, China adopted the “internet plus” strategy which brings a wonderful opportunity to the development of agricultural GIs. Although the supportive policies introduced by government, the rapid development of online shopping, and the booming of agricultural e-commerce in rural China are favorable to the development of agricultural GIs, there are still some problems to be solved. This study proposes that government should play a leading role in constructing information network infrastructure and some other aspects; the production and promotion of agro-products based on GIs should be subsided; the development of GIs-related professional associations should be accelerated. In addition, brand management and the exploration of global market are also essential factors. This study can be referable for policy makers and agricultural GIs related business owners to promote the development of China’s agricultural GIs.

Keywords: Development Strategy; Agricultural GIs; Internet Plus; Agro-products Certified with GIs; Intellectual Property Rights