Figure 1: Shop full of regional, certified food products in Merída (Spain). Source: Lukas Flinzberger

Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) as Flagships of Cultural Landscapes

Jamon Iberico, Feta cheese, Allgäu mountain cheese, Dehesa de Extremadura ham — if you have ever bought one of these products in the supermarket, you have probably come across the “protected designation of origin” (PDO) seal. Although meant to provide orientation to consumers, this and other labels are usually not well known.

Figure 2: Logo of the ‘protected designation of origin’ (PDO). Source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/food-safety-and-quality/certification/quality-labels/quality-schemes-explained_de

The seals are acquired in complex registration processes, which amongst others clarify how the product is linked to the region in question and the traditions anchored within. In contrast to other labels such as PGI (‘Protected Geographical Indication’) and TSG (‘Traditional Specialty Guaranteed’), the preconditions for obtaining the PDO seal are quite strict: All production and processing steps must take place within the respective region, with almost no exception. Products with a PDO label are therefore per se very closely linked to their region of origin.

But how exactly are they related to nature conservation areas, cultural landscapes, tourism values and other economic-demographic factors?

To come straight to the point of our most recent study on the topic: There are clear positive correlations between nature conservation, cultural landscapes, as well as tourist attractiveness on the one hand and the presence of PDO products on the other. At the same time, negative correlations were found between the presence of PDO products and economic-demographic indicators.

Figure 3: Traditional landscape with small-scale structures near Montanchez (Extremadura, Spain). Source: Lukas Flinzberger

Mapping European PDOs

First of all, to provide a map of the geographical distribution and extent of all 638 food products concerned, we reviewed the corresponding EU text documents from the eAmbrosia database (as of June 30th, 2020; excluding wines and alcoholic drinks). We were thus able to show for the first time where in Europe how many PDO-certified products can be produced. We defined the number of PDO products in any NUTS 3 region as the PDO score (see Figure 3).

Besides the obvious result that more than 80% of all PDO products could be found in the eight Mediterranean countries, we were surprised that certain hotspots of PDO production emerged so clearly. Along the border between Spain and Portugal, in southern France, northern Italy and central mainland Greece, certain regions stood out as home to more than nine PDO products.

Figure 4: Number of ‘Protected Designations of Origins’ (PDOs) within the 28 former member states of the EU. The maps show the number of PDO foods that can be produced in each NUTS-3 region, clearly showing the dominance of the Mediterranean countries. [NUTS-3 is the abbreviation for the smallest sub-unit of the ‘Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics’ in the EU]. Source: Flinzberger et al. 2022a

The social-ecological dimension

To investigate the spatial relationship between PDO products and social-ecological aspects of a region, we collected data on 13 indicators, such as Natura-2000 areas, tourism beds, or median age. Therefore, we mainly used statistics from the databases of EUROSTAT and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Then, by calculating the correlation between the PDO score and each selected indicator, we found significant correlations for all 13 indicators. We also aimed to account for differences between the Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries, and between the four most important product categories.

Particularly remarkable are the strong correlations between the frequency of PDO products and the so-called “high nature value farmland” (HNV). Moreover, there seems to be a clear correlation between tourist as well as cultural attractiveness and the production of PDO products. The socio-economic indicators showed that the production of PDO products plays a much stronger economic role in Mediterranean countries. Here, the presence of PDO products is at least as strongly linked to overall negative demographic trends as it is in the rest of Europe (tending to be even more pronounced) but explicitly linked to a positive employment situation.

Figure 5: Traditional cork oak landscape in eastern Portugal in the “Altenjeo” — a European hotspot for PDO products. Source: Lukas Flinzberger

A pathway to sustainable food systems

Based on the findings, we draw three conclusions:

1. PDOs are often produced in regions of high ecological and cultural value, but at the same time these regions suffer from negative demographic and economic trends.
2. Because of this, the continuity of some of these traditional production methods may be at risk, as the areas in question are typically at economically motivated crossroads between intensification or abandonment of use.
3. For this reason, PDOs can be used as instruments for the sustainable development of European agriculture and life in rural areas.

The Protected Designations of Origin thus show us a suitable pathway for a transformation towards sustainable food systems.

PDO products originate from the respective region and thus have comparatively short value chains. Traditional production methods can often produce high-quality food that is profitable for local producers. Such short value chains, efficient use of resources and a return to traditional farming methods suggest that sustainability is inherent to the system.

For sustainable food systems, however, a reduction in the consumption of animal-based products is urgently needed. It remains to be clarified how this can be balanced with the strong focus of PDO products on these very categories. In our view, the best possible way for the PDO system is to align with the goals of the “less but better meat” movement. In this way, the sustainable, extensive production systems of many PDO products could be highlighted and their advantages over conventionally produced animal products could be more effectively utilised.

So next time you’d like to serve a delicious ham from the Iberian Peninsula, look out for the little red and yellow PDO label: You can be sure that this ham was produced from pigs grazing in extensive oak forests and (almost) exclusively eating the acorns of the trees — a culinary pleasure in harmony with nature, so to speak.

Figure 6: Pig’s ham with the PDO label “Dehesa de Extremadura” in the ripening room. Figure 7: PDO cheese “Torta del Casar” from sheep milk — a speciality in Spain, especially for Easter. Source: Lukas Flinzberger

Sources & Contact

Full Study: Flinzberger, L., Zinngrebe, Y., Bugalho, M.N., Plieninger, T. (2022a). EU-wide mapping of ‘Protected Designations of Origin’ food products (PDOs) reveals correlations with social-ecological landscape values. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022-00778-4

We also describe an attempt of a causal interpretation in this article, using a statistically more complex regression analysis to show the possible relationships between the socio-ecological characteristics of a region and the accumulation of PDO products:

Flinzberger, L.; Cebrián, M. A.; Peppler-Lisbach, C & Zinngrebe, Y. (2022b). Why Geographical Indications Can Support Sustainable Development in European Agri-Food Landscapes. Front. Conserv. Sci. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.752377

Contact: Lukas Flinzberger, PhD Researcher, Social-Ecological Interactions in Agricultural Systems Section, Georg-August University Göttingen, ResearchGate

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