Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed the latest target of its Geographical Indication (GI) protection program protecting names of agricultural and food products as intellectual properties which have unique brand values of specific regions.
It will be a new target of the GI Protection System for MAFF to persuade each of 47 prefectures in the country to register at least one product under the System over the next five years through 2020.
The System aims to protect names of farm products as GI properties obtaining high quality and reputation as a result of traditional production methods and climate characteristics in specific agricultural areas.
MAFF guarantees the quality of a GI registered product and enforces a regulation that prevents use of its name by a third party whose product does not conform to the applicable standards.
12 farm products such as “Yubari Melon” are currently registered under the MAFF’s GI program, while applications of more than 60 products have been filed with its GI office.
Unique and high-quality products other than these ones are available in a number of rural areas in the country, whose producers have not been fully evaluated for their special production methods in the market, but their products have potential for being listed among the GI commodities.
MAFF plans to discover untapped products in every agricultural area throughout the country to reach the new target of its GI protection program by 2020.