The use of geographical indications in public food procurement: the example of Italian primary schools

This chapter analyses the inclusion of geographical indication (GI) products in public food procurement (PFP) in terms of their volume and their economic impacts in different models of PFP. The chapter discusses the cases of two Italian municipalities (Parma and Lucca), which have adopted two different business models to manage primary school meals services. First, the regulatory framework for PFP in both municipalities is discussed; then, a Keynesian-derived indicator is used to assess the economic spillover effect into the local economy. Even though GI products have a large presence in certain food categories (e.g. dairy products), overall, they account for only a small proportion of the total volume of food served in the school meals services studied (2 to 2.5 percent). In terms of economic impact, the inclusion of GI products in school meals services provides a positive but limited contribution to the local economy. The main obstacles to including more GI products in PFP are GI products’ higher cost, their low availability and access, and regulatory criteria.