What does ‘Geographic Indication’ mean? Why is it important?
Geographical Indication (GI) is a label defined by the World Trade Organization (WTO) under the TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement.
The GI label not only confirms the geographical origin of a product, but also its special features that make it unique because of its origin. Examples of well-known GI labels are “Champagne”, “Darjeeling” or “Roquefort”.
Registration under the GI label is a confirmation that the product and it’s name really come from the said region and is made there with traditional methods and knowledge. With their distinctive qualities, these products represent the region of origin.
Why do only ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ deserve the GI label?
Shawls made from pure Pashmina in Kashmir are known as ‘Kashmir Pashmina’. They are created through craftsmanship skills that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. They are thus an original handicraft that can only be found in the Kashmir region. This uniqueness of the ‘Kashmir Pashminas’ confirms and certifies the GI label.
‘Kashmir Pashmina’ is the first product to be registered under the GI label from this region. There are now nine products registered, including ‘Kashmiri Saffron’ and ‘Kashmiri Walnut Wood Carvings’.
GI Label for Kashmir Pashmina
The GI certificate – Granant for genuine pashmina from Kashmir
‘Kashmir Pashmina’ has been registered as a GI label since 2005. The label is owned by the Kashmiri Craft Association ‘Tahafuz’ (Urdu, means ‘protection’). As a recognized member of the GI label register, you can get Pashmina shawls tested at the Craft Development Institute (CDI) in Kashmir’s capital Srinagar since 2013. Only when a shawl meets all qualitative criteria a certificate is issued (down) and a GI label is attached to the shawl (right).
The certificate not only confirms the purity of the raw material, but the entire manufacturing process; from cleaning the raw material by hand, the handspun threads to hand weaving on traditional looms.
GI-Label on a Pashmina Shawl
Sample of a GI-Certificate
‘Kashmir Pashmina’ in a worldwide comparison
More than 4/5ths of the total Pashmina production comes from China and Mongolia. Now also other countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Australia and Nepal offer this luxury material.
However, the raw material “pashm” (the finest underhair of the goat from which Pashmina is made) of ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ is of very high quality. Through their natural habitat, the ‘Kashmir Pashmina’ goat is able to produce ‘pashm’ which is considered to be the finest and purest in the world.
But not only the raw material plays a major role for the GI label. Only in the Kashmir region of India has the centuries-old craft of spinning, weaving and embroidering Pashmina stoles and shawls traditionally developed. However, the modern manufacturing techniques adopted by other countries lack the traditional skills of weaving and, most importantly, the unparalleled embroidery skills of Kashmiri artisans.
It was not until 2005 that the uniqueness of this manufacturing art and the resulting top quality was confirmed and certified by the WTO with the GI label for ‘Kashmir Pashmina’.
