Piadina Romagnola PGI Recognised in Brazil
Historic recognition for the national bread of Romagna: the INPI (Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property) has officially registered “Piadina Romagnola” as a Protected Geographical Indication. From now on there will be no more counterfeits for the product, which alone accounts for over 50% of the total value of the PDO/PGI bakery sector according to data from the Ismea/Qualivita 2024 Report.
‘This recognition,’ explains Alfio Biagini, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Piadina Romagnola PGI, “represents an important safeguard for overseas consumers and a milestone for Italian exports. Last year, our piadina romagnola obtained collective trademark registration in Japan, but the Brazilian recognition represents a quantum leap for our product because it is the first foreign Protected Geographical Indication ever granted by the South American body, which until now had recognised 112 PGIs, all national, with the exception of piadina.”
The promotion of Piadina Romagnola PGI does not stop at the recognition obtained in Japan and Brazil. The process of protecting and promoting the product continues in other countries, consolidating its position in Europe — with Germany at the forefront — where the Consortium has launched a comprehensive information and communication project co-financed by the European Union. While the goal abroad is to obtain formal recognition of the Protected Geographical Indication, the challenge in the European market is different and perhaps more subtle: to raise awareness, describe and explain Piadina Romagnola PGI so that consumers can fully understand its origin, tradition and cultural value.
Choose the European Friendship, as the project is called, aims to inform and promote Piadina Romagnola PGI among German consumers. Launched in 2023, the three-year programme included a series of communication activities aimed at both the general public and industry operators: trade fairs, workshops, B2B meetings, advertising in trade publications, influencer marketing and point-of-sale promotions. By the end of the project (28 February 2026), approximately 55 million consumers between the ages of 25 and 54 will have been reached.