Preservation, innovation and governance: Geographical indication of grapes in Jundiaí (Brazil)

IEA – Instituto de Economia Agrícola, CEP: 01037-912 – Praça Ramos de Azevedo, 254, São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract

The formation of the grape growing area of Jundiaí was influenced by Italian immigration and the diffusion of cultivar Isabella. After 1930, the coffee economy crisis, the destructuring of the large monoculture property and the emergence of the Niagara Rosada cultivar allowed for the specialization of the Jundiaí grape growing agglomeration. The diffusion of this cultivar characterized the physiognomy of the regional vineyard with the practice of the “espalier” conduction system, and developed the intangible heritage based on the religious character of the cultural manifestations and harvest celebrations. Currently, urban and industrial expansion provides negative externalities of the geographic proximity between the diverse uses of the agricultural space, a fact that imposes threats to the sustainability of the traditional grape growing activities. This work is based on the hypothesis that the Geographical Indication of the Niagara Rosada grape presupposes governance among the agents and constitutes a project of valuation of the traditional landscape and the cultural heritage, in order to contribute to adding value to the grape and to territorial development. The specific resources, even outside the market sphere, can contribute to the commercial valuation of the Niagara Rosada grape and wealth generation beyond the classic notion of “productivity”.