Anatomy and Governance of GI consortia: cross-country perspective

Consortia of GI products are characterized by voluntary participation, shared norms and exclusivity. More frequently than is recognized the interdependency created among small and large-sized consortia members is the outcome of a conflictual relationship for imposing their own interpretation of the role of the “terroir”. The aim of this study is therefore to analyze from a cultural-economic perspective the internal governance of GI consortia taking into account cross-country differences. Based on a qualitative design, we focused on the diachronical development of two cheese producers who are members of an Italian PDO cheese and a German PDO cheese consortium, respectively. The entrepreneurial patterns highlighted in this study give evidence of a high internal dynamism. It is henceforth suggested to adopt an emergence approach to face and manage the change processes inside GI consortia.