ABSTRACT
Geographical indication (GI) is one of the most debated themes in contemporary global agri-food. A group of countries headed by the European Union (EU) supports GI and legitimizes it under the claim that it could revitalize local rural economies and small and medium producers. Another group of countries, headed by the US, opposes this posture and proposes a market oriented GI system. Following the EU system, in 2015, Japan enforced the Geographical Indication Law and introduced two GI systems. Given this background and employing the case of miso, this chapter addresses three items. First, it illustrates the background that led to the establishment of the Japanese GI regulation. Second, it probes whether this system represents a form of resistance to neoliberal capitalism. Third, it explores the difficulties of establishing effective resistance under neoliberal agri-food. It is concluded that while the implementation of an effective GI legislation could be beneficial to the revitalization of family farming and agricultural regions, structural problems, such as the constant reliance on market mechanisms, make this alternative to free market-oriented policies problematic.
