The Potential and Contradictions of Geographical Indication and Patrimonization for the Sustainability of Indigenous Communities: A Case of Cordillera Heirloom Rice in the Philippines

Abstract

In the Montane areas of Cordillera, the Philippines, the IP (indigenous people) have cultivated native rice for generations on their rice terraces, which were designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Cultural Heritage site in 1995 and a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) World Agricultural Heritage site, Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2011. This heirloom rice was registered as a collective trademark in 2018 and will be registered as a sui generis geographical indication (GI) in the coming years. Based on the author’s interviews with the stakeholders in heirloom rice production conducted in the Philippines in 2019, this article aims to analyze whether GI and patrimonization contribute to the sustainability of the IP communities in Cordillera. This paper demonstrates that GI and patrimonization exhibit both potential and contradictions in ecological, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability in the communities, and the compatibility of these dimensions is challenged. The paper concludes that public policies need to pay particular attention to accompanying IP communities when GI and patrimonization are designed to protect them from over-development of the designated area and over-commodification of their certified agri-food products.

Environmental psychology in the Philippines: Growth, challenges and prospects

“…There are many things that we can learn from indigenous peoples in the country as they live their lives with a more intimate connection with nature. For example, identifying how local indigenous tribes perceive and treat nature as an integral part of their community and survival can offer important lessons on how general Filipinos should relate to the natural environment (Sekine, 2021). As Western-based solutions to addressing environmentally harmful behaviours may not always apply to non-Western populations, conducting studies that recognise culture as an integral part of collective behaviour change show great promise.…”

Climate risk vulnerability assessment on the production of heirloom rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in Mountain Province, Philippines

“…The people and their culture are considered as "living gene banks" for highland rice varieties. However, according to Sekine (2021), this traditional agricultural system has been threatened by climate change, overuse of natural resources, modernization of IP communities, and the lack of successors. The current and projected crop suitability are shown in Figure 6 where the areas with lighter red color are the areas where heirloom rice are suitable in contrast with the areas with darker red color where crops are least suitable.…”

Challenges to conserve world agricultural heritages in a market economy: Experiences in Nishi-Awa, Japan

“…For instance, the salt produced in the Agricultural System of Valle Salado de Añana, Spain, a GIAHS, is sold with the Presidia label, while sake (alcohol made from rice), Hakusan Kikusake in Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi, a GIAHS in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, is registered as a geographical indication (Fernandez et al, 2020;Kajima et al, 2017). The heirloom rice varieties produced in Ifgao Rice Terraces in the Philippines, a GIAHS, are certified as geographical indications (Sekine, 2021d). In all GIAHS sites in Japan, the local stakeholders established their original logos and associated agri-food labeling systems to promote their products under the name of GIAHS but without an official logotype or logo of the GIAHS (MAFF, 2018a(MAFF, , 2018b.…”

“…In the case of the GIAHS, the agencies of nation states play the ‘intermediary’ role between FAO as the ‘rule-maker’ and local stakeholders in designated sites as the ‘rule-taker’. As FAO does not ensure availability of global certification for the agri-food products produced in GIAHS sites, intermediaries tend to encourage or leave local stakeholders to adopt other certification schemes such as geographical indications and other local agri-food labeling systems to appeal the values and qualities of these products (Kajima et al, 2017; Sekine, 2021d; Uchiyama et al, 2017). While local stakeholders expect that these schemes would result in a higher evaluation of their products in the market economy and therefore contribute to the economic viability of their communities, these efforts sometimes fail to meet the global standards of the GIAHS and secure ecological, social, and cultural sustainability (Sekine, 2021d).…”