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Geographical Indications (GI)

Geographical Indications (GI)

FMRIC has been working on promotion of Japanese GI protection system since 2015.

Japanese GI protection system

Japan has started GI protection system for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs from June 2015.

In that system, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) fulfills the role to evaluate GI Application, focusing on the various points such as the link between the name, characteristics, and production area, and register GIs in accordance with the GI Act.

“GI Support Desk”

FMRIC has been working on GI promotion program, relating to MAFF of Japan.
FMRIC founded “GI Support Desk” which responds to questions and requests about GI application by telephone and internet.
FMRIC has assigned professionals as Advisers of “GI Support Desk” all over Japan. When a producer group starts discussing and preparing for GI application, FMRIC dispatches an adviser to the producer group. The adviser provides advice to the producers’ group so that the group can sophisticate GI application documents, including “Specification” and “control plan”.
After that, the group submits the GI application documents to MAFF.

Research on GI

FMRIC also carries out research on GI of Japan and foreign countries.

Links

MAFF’s Web-site: Geographical Indication(GI) protection system

English Translation of GI Act of Japan

“Act on Protection of the Names of Specific Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs (Act No. 84 of June 25, 2014)”
NOTE: GI Act was amended in December 2016 to enable mutual GI protection with foreign countries by international agreement.