Research has shown that collective action depends on the ability of organizations to develop a strong and participative institutions to be able to implement almost any cooperative endeavor. This is indeed the case of Geographical Indications (GIs), whose ability to succeed depends, among many factors, on their capability to develop a strong governance framework that can deliver strong benefits to both GI producers and other stakeholders in the territory.

However, good governance also depends on being able to assert and demonstrate attributes that can, and must, be tracked so that GI Organizations can create an environment of cooperation with value chain stakeholders and with other institutions and authorities. Literature shows that GI organizations must be legitimate, participative and transparent.

Legitimacy is a strong concept that must be evaluated from different perspectives. Tracking legitimacy requires tracking representativeness, the way an organization adheres to the different rules and instances of collective decision making and how such decisions are conveyed and explained to stakeholders, bringing about confidence in those making those decisions. A participative organization not only has to demonstrate that stakeholders represented can participate but that they effectively participate. Transparency deals with the ability to handle possible conflicts of interest as well as accountability, providing public reports on its activities and remaining challenges.

The presentation aims to illustrate these indicator attributes with examples as well as other areas that can help build a string governance reputation for GIs.