The 2024 Comprehensive Index of High-Quality Development of National County-level Geographical Indication Industries containing “Tea” as a leading GI
Data: On November 18, the Beijing Zhongjun Economic Development Research Institute—a professional research institution for national county-level economy and geographical indications—in collaboration with the Geographical Indication Specialty Products Website, completed and released the “2024 Report on High-Quality Development of National County-level Geographical Indication Industry” (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”), revealing the list of the top 100 counties in the comprehensive index of high-quality development for national county-level geographical indication industries.
The “Report” adheres to the principles of being “professional, scientific, independent, objective, public, and development-oriented.” Based on geographical indication databases and public information, and through research procedures including data collection, organization, analysis, screening, and verification, it utilizes the “Research and Evaluation System for the Comprehensive Index of High-Quality Development of County-level Geographical Indication Industries” to evaluate six dimensions—including county-level GI industry strength, industrial status, natural and humanistic features, leading GIs, rural revitalization, and government promotion—to produce the nation’s first “Top 100 Counties in the Comprehensive Index of High-Quality Development of County-level Geographical Indication Industries.”
In the list of the top 100 national geographical indication counties released this time, there are 13 county-level units where leading GIs belong to industrial products, such as Maotai Liquor in Renhuai, Guizhou; Liling Ceramics in Liling, Hunan; and Pixian Douban in Pidu District, Chengdu, Sichuan; there are 87 county-level units where leading GIs belong to agricultural products, such as Anxi Tieguanyin in Anxi County, Fujian; Anhua Dark Tea in Anhua County, Hunan; and Donggang Strawberries in Donggang, Liaoning.
Among these, 12 counties entered the top 100 list with “tea” as a leading GI, specifically: Anxi County, Fujian; Anhua County, Hunan; Menghai County, Yunnan; Yingde, Guangdong; Wuyishan, Fujian; Fuding, Fujian; Fengqing, Yunnan; Chibi, Hubei; Fenggang, Guizhou; Enshi, Hubei; Mingshan District, Ya’an, Sichuan; and Meitan, Guizhou.
The “Report” suggests that the registration and authorization of geographical indications are merely the foundational work for the high-quality development of the GI industry. The high-quality development of county-level GI industries must strengthen the concept of the entire GI industry chain, promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, and integrate resources from related sectors such as GI production management, technical services, quality control, logistics and supply, marketing and sales, deep processing, brand promotion, and e-commerce. It should coordinate the collective strength of governments, industry centers, associations, and GI enterprises to form a powerful endogenous driver for high-quality development.
Geographical indications are the best proof of identity for agricultural products, and tea products with GIs serve as an important bridge connecting consumer recognition. For tea producers, the use of a national geographical indication must be limited to tea produced within the protected region. Producers must adhere to strict production rules, and the quality of the produced tea must undergo auditing by government departments to ensure it meets the national geographical indication product standards.
For local governments in tea-producing regions, implementing national GI product protection systems plays a vital role in driving the development of local specialty industries and promoting rural revitalization. This requires tea-producing governments to strictly supervise every stage of production for national geographical indication teas.
It is understood that China’s geographical indication protection has been implemented since 1999. On January 1, 2021, the state launched a brand-new dedicated logo for national geographical indications. The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is responsible for uniformly formulating and releasing the management requirements for the use of the national GI logo and organizing the supervision and management of its use, while local intellectual property management departments are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the use of national geographical indication logos.
As a new type of “Sannong” (agriculture, rural areas, and farmers) intellectual property, geographical indications serve as a hallmark of the place of origin and quality reputation of local specialty products, possessing strong industrial comparative advantages and an effect of strengthening counties and enriching the populace. Therefore, through the protection and utilization of geographical indications, it is of great significance to increase the added value of tea products, promote the dissemination of tea culture, and attract more consumers and investors.
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Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
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