Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network

The Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) is a non-governmental organization founded in June 2002 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It functions as the global alliance of Geographical Indications (GIs) across a wide range of sectors, bringing together producer associations and other GI-related institutions. Its stated mission is to promote GIs as a tool for sustainable development, to extend GI protection beyond wines and spirits to other product categories, and to secure more effective legal protection for GIs at national, regional and international levels. According to its official website, oriGIn represents some 600 associations of producers and other GI-related institutions from 40 countries. French Wikipedia describes the network as grouping 200 organizations and more than two million GI producers from forty countries, spanning both developed and developing economies. Members include promotion associations and producer groupings such as the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Mexico), the Association suisse des AOC-IGP (Switzerland), the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (France), the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica, and the Idaho Potato Commission (United States). oriGIn's work centers on policy and advocacy, information services and technical support. It presents itself as the voice of GI groups in major international and regional fora, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union (EU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It publishes reports, newsletters, studies, information on court decisions and national laws, and operates the "oriGIn Alerts" information service for members. It also runs capacity-building activities, such as an online course on adding value to origin products through GIs developed in cooperation with the International Trade Center (ITC). The organization's advocacy agenda has historically focused on creating a multilateral register of protected products within the WTO and on extending the higher level of GI protection currently reserved for wines and spirits under the TRIPS agreement to other products such as cheeses, meats, fruits, cereals, tea, honey and silk. This agenda has met opposition from the Cairns Group of agricultural exporters and the United States. oriGIn also monitors developments such as the EUIPO examination guidelines for European Union trade marks and engages with its global community on issues affecting GI producers, including disaster relief appeals for members such as Colombian coffee producers.

The Organization for an International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) was created in June 2002 as a non-governmental organization with the aim of promoting Geographical Indications (GIs) as a tool for sustainable development. From its foundation, its agenda had two central objectives: to extend GI protection to products other than wines and spirits, and to obtain more effective legal protection for GIs at national, regional and international levels. It established its base in Geneva, Switzerland, a location that places it close to major international organizations dealing with intellectual property and trade. In its early years, oriGIn positioned itself as a network of GI promotion associations and producer groupings rather than a single-issue lobby. French Wikipedia records that the network grew to group 200 organizations and more than two million GI producers from forty countries, spanning both developed and developing economies. Its membership roster came to include prominent GI institutions such as the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Mexico), the Association suisse des AOC-IGP (Switzerland), the Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (France), the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica and the Idaho Potato Commission (United States). A defining element of oriGIn's history has been its advocacy within the World Trade Organization. The organization has argued that creating a multilateral register of protected branded products within the WTO — covering cheeses, charcuterie, meats, fruits such as pineapples and bananas, cereals such as maize, rye and rice, tea, peppers, honey and silk — would be a simple and economical solution. However, under the WTO's TRIPS agreement, only wines and spirits currently benefit from the higher level of GI protection. This position has been opposed by the Cairns Group of major agricultural exporting countries and by the United States, with some parties hoping to integrate GIs into a bargain over agricultural subsidies and others viewing GI defense as a new form of protectionism. Over time, oriGIn expanded its activities beyond WTO advocacy into a broader program of information, technical support and capacity building. It became the voice of GI groups in international and regional fora including the WTO, the European Union, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It developed publications, newsletters, studies, information on court decisions and national laws, and the "oriGIn Alerts" service to keep members informed about policy developments and court rulings. In cooperation with the International Trade Center (ITC), it developed the online course "Adding Value to Origin Products Through Geographical Indications (GIs)," hosted on the ITC SME Trade Academy, with a French version planned in cooperation with the French Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO). By the 2020s, oriGIn described itself as representing some 600 associations of producers and other GI-related institutions from 40 countries. It also launched data and trend initiatives such as the GIs Worldwide Compilation and the GI Trends Panel, the latter composed of 32 groups and reporting aggregate figures including turnover of 73.1 billion EUR, 638,982 direct jobs, 58.9 billion EUR in exports and 1,057,214 km² of land. The organization continues to monitor and comment on developments affecting GI protection, such as the entry into force of the 2026 edition of the EUIPO Guidelines for the Examination of European Union trade marks, and to mobilize its global community around issues affecting GI producers, including appeals to support Colombian coffee producers after a devastating earthquake.

• 2026

  2026 edition of the EUIPO Guidelines for the Examination of European Union trade marks entered into force on 1 July; oriGIn commented.

• 2026

  oriGIn issued a call to its global community to support Colombia's coffee producers affected by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.

• 2021

  13th edition of the oriGIn/ITC online course "Adding Value to Origin Products Through Geographical Indications (GIs)" announced.

• 2002

  oriGIn founded in June 2002 as a non-governmental organization to promote Geographical Indications as a tool for sustainable development.

• Established headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

• Grew to group 200 organizations and more than two million GI producers from forty countries (per French Wikipedia).

• Became the voice of GI groups in international fora including WTO, EU, WIPO and ICANN.

Global alliance and advocacy voice for Geographical Indications producer groups, promoting GIs as a sustainable development tool and pushing for stronger international legal protection.

• oriGIn Alerts

  A dynamic and interactive information service keeping members up to date on oriGIn activities, GI policy developments and court rulings.

• GIs Worldwide Compilation

  A compilation of Geographical Indications worldwide.

• GI Trends Panel

  A panel composed of 32 groups reporting aggregate figures including turnover of 73.1 billion EUR, 638,982 direct jobs, 58.9 billion EUR in exports and 1,057,214 km² of land.

• oriGIn/ITC Online Course

  Online course "Adding Value to Origin Products Through Geographical Indications (GIs)" developed with the International Trade Center and available on the ITC SME Trade Academy.

• Policy and Advocacy

  Representation of GI groups in international and regional fora including WTO, EU, WIPO and ICANN.

1. 1home - oriGIn | Organization for an International Geographical Indications Networkorigin-gi.com
2. 2What They Say About Us - oriGInorigin-gi.com
3. 3All you need to know about GIs - oriGInorigin-gi.com
4. 4oriGIn/ITC Online Course "Adding Value to Origin Products Through Geographical Indications (GIs)"origin-gi.com
5. 5Wikidata Q3356079wikidata.org
6. 6Organisation pour un réseau international d'Indications géographiques - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org