UK Names Gower Lamb As First Food with Protected Status Under Geographical Indication Scheme 18 August 2021, by Luke Prosser

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UK names Gower lamb as first food with protected status under geographical indication scheme 18 August 2021, by Luke Prosser

Since Brexit, the UK has established its own geographical indication scheme, which closely resembles the EU version. Gower salt marsh lamb is the first product to be added to the new British scheme and must be born, raised and slaughtered within the 19 electoral constituency boundaries that make up the Gower Peninsular. It joins 16 other Welsh products already protected including Anglesey sea salt, Welsh laverbread and Conwy mussels.

My ongoing research is looking into the the contribution to that sector of local food production which is sustainable—environmentally, socially and economically. My colleagues and I are so far Grazing on samphire. Credit: Shutterstock/Jane finding that locally produced food contributes Campbell significantly to making sure rural areas are viable communities. And evidence shows officially recognizing and protecting the links between a food product and the area it comes can have significant Sheep have been grazing the salt marsh benefits for that community. landscape of the Gower Peninsula in Wales since medieval times. Today around 3,500 lambs and In a competitive market, this protection really ewes feed there, where a diet of naturally growing counts. The food and drink sector is worth £29bn to samphire and sorrel gives their meat a unique the UK economy, so standing out from the crowd flavor. has never been more important.

Gower lamb, which is available to buy and eat The protected designation of origin (PDO) awarded between June and December, matures more to Gower salt marsh lamb is reserved for products slowly and lives longer than intensively reared with the strongest links to the place in which they lamb, which further adds to the characteristic are made. There is strong evidence that such taste. protections mean better prices for producers. For example, prices of French cheeses with a PDO are That flavor has now been given protected status, higher by an average of 11.5%. providing the farmers of those lambs with membership of an exclusive club. Fellow members PDOs also help to preserve traditional methods include producers of Cornish clotted cream, Melton from being driven out by intensive agricultural Mowbray pork pies and champagne, which have systems by stipulating a number of requirements on long been part of a European scheme which the methods of production. In the Gower's case this means certain food and drink can only be made in includes recognizing the shepherding skills and certain places. knowledge of the salt marsh tidal ranges to protect

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the animals from dangerous rising tides. These are By supporting low impact practices GIs provide skills which have been developed and passed on greater stability for those working in the industry, through generations. protecting traditional skills and maintaining viable rural livelihoods by placing requirements on But it could potentially have a damaging effect on production processes the sale of Welsh lamb from other regions, which is itself protected by a similar but less specific Asked about the importance of designation for its classification, known as a protected geographical Anglesey Sea Salt (protected by a PDO since indication (PGI). 2014) Halen Mon director Alison Wilson told me it was one of the company's "proudest achievments." Again, this is designed to emphasize the She added: "It gives protection when it's needed, relationship between the specific geographic region and status and proof of the particular qualities of and the name of the product. The PDO will likely be our hand-harvested sea salt. It means that we are seen by consumers as a mark that Gower salt the only British sea salt to be audited and proved marsh lamb ranks even more highly for quality and 100% authentic, in a world full of food fraud." taste against other Welsh Lamb, which could be a blow for many of Wales' other sheep farmers As dietary habits continue to change, many people currently boosted by their PGI status. At the are looking to reduce the impact of their diet on the moment there is a lack of research on the differing environment. The new status for Gower salt marsh perceptions of PDO and PGI categorisation, so we lamb will hopefully give consumers reassurance will have to wait and see if this turns out to have that they are eating a high welfare, pasture fed any significant impact. animal, which has had a minimal environmental impact over its life. A protected product can help That issue aside, geographical indicators generally protect the planet. work well in protecting consumers against food fraud, through an official process of audit and This article is republished from The Conversation authentication. They are designed to avoid things under a Creative Commons license. Read the like the 2013 scandal in which a number of beef original article. products from across the EU were found to contain varying levels of horse meat. Provided by The Conversation Check meat

Products with geographical indicators are subjected to extra auditing to ensure authentic products for consumers, with controls conducted by local authority trading standards.

Compliance is monitored, and suspicion of counterfeit products can be reported directly to the enforcement body who have the power to impose fines or imprisonment under various consumer protection laws.

Geographical indicators also promote a sustainable food system by promoting localized approaches to food production. They champion and protect local and traditional production systems that limit intensification and market saturation, and promote high quality and welfare produce.

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APA citation: UK names Gower lamb as first food with protected status under geographical indication scheme (2021, August 18) retrieved 25 September 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2021-08-uk-gower- lamb-food-status.html

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