From local to global, and return: geographical Indications and FDI in Europe

The geographical indication (GI) scheme of the European Union guarantees visibility and protection to high-quality agri-food products associated with a demarcated region of origin. This paper estimates the impact of the scheme in attracting agri-food foreign direct investment (FDI) in European NUTS3 regions, using a novel dataset and a generalized propensity score matching approach. Areas endorsed with GIs attract more FDI in agri-food-related activities than their non-GI counterparts. Positive effects, estimated for FDI inflows, related job creation and inter-sectoral spillovers on local employment, involves territories with lower institutional quality.