Are Geographical Indication products environmentally sound? The case of pears in North of Italy

The sustainability of Geographical Indication (GI) products has been investigated from social and economic standpoints, but their environmental sustainability is not yet well understood. This gap is especially problematic for food products because their production processes have significant impacts on the environment and at the same time are highly affected by climate change. This research is aimed to investigate the environmental performances of an Italian GI pear, by comparing its impacts with those of the corresponding conventional production, and to identify the most important improvement strategies. The case of “Pera Mantovana” is assessed through a life cycle assessment. Primary data are collected through extensive in-person interviews across a local sample of four on-field farms and two post-harvest organizations. The environmental impacts are not found to differ between GI and conventional productions. Moreover, the main hotspots are identified, and improvement strategies are evaluated. It is recommended to use the existing GI specification as a vehicle of environmental standards, also profiting from the new European regulation on GIs.