Geographical Indication of Foods and Drinks in Wales is looked after by Westminster rather than Cardiff despite food and drink being devolved.
With the United Kingdom leaving the EU the old PGI & PDO registered foods have lost their recognition which is being replaced with Geographical Indication (GI) policy. This policy is presently out to consultation and you can have you say before the deadline of 27th June 2021. Follows is the text from the office of Alicia Kearns MP co chair of The All-Party Parliamentary Group GP Foods. Ben lake MP is the Welsh representative on this committee as joint Vice Chair.
For the first time in a very long time, the United Kingdom has the chance to develop a truly world-class Geographical Indication (GI) policy. We have a chance to provide better promotion and protection to the best of British food and drink, and help consumers buy British and Welsh at the supermarket. As food and producers and consumers yourselves, I don’t need to tell you that too often we play down the great products that call the UK home and the rich histories and tastes that make up Great Britain’s culinary landscape. That is why, as Chair and Founder of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Geographically Protected Foods, I want to see what steps Parliament and the Government can take to boost the UK GI scheme, to make it more accessible for producers and better known for consumers.
That is why the APPG has launched its consultation into the UK geographical indication scheme, and I want to hear from Welsh food and drink makers and Welsh consumers. Wales should be so proud for its leadership in this area – many of the most recent GIs added to the UK are Welsh, like Welsh lamb, Welsh beef, coracle caught salmon, Welsh wine, and I know many more are on the way. The whole of the UK can learn from Welsh trail-blazing, and that is why I am particularly hopeful that you can complete the survey at gpfoods.inparliament.uk
With more people answering this survey, we can provide better advice to the Government who is actively considering ways to improve our GI scheme, to fully seize the benefits of leaving the European Union. The UK currently has about half as many GIs as Portugal, and just more than a third of those in France, and now we have the opportunity to expand our scheme. DEFRA will be watching our consultation closely, and by having your say by completing our survey, you can strengthen our GI scheme to make it better for consumers, better for producers, better for retailers and, ultimately, better for Wales and every corner of the United Kingdom.
