Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: This research looks at the creation of denominations of origin (DOs) and other place-named agricultural products as a means of “localizing production” within the framework of globalization. Focusing on the DO for tequila (the first Mexican DO, awarded in 1974), I examine the effects of DOs on rural development, farm incomes, and agricultural practices. The data comes from interviews I conducted over two separate five-month periods with actors throughout the tequila commodity chain, including tequila producers and distributors, government officials, farmers who produce agave (the raw material used to make tequila), and leaders of local and national farmer associations. I analyze the politics that underlie the creation and maintenance of DOs, paying particular attention to the way the norms associated with DO regulation influence agricultural practices and farmer livelihoods, and how these dynamics are shaped by tequila's growing importance in the global market.