The secretary of state for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Owen Paterson, has stressed the need for food manufacturers to harness EU protected naming schemes for the protection and promotion of global exports.
Paterson also pledged government support on the matter.
Speaking at English Wine Week on Sunday, he said, “PDOs and PDIs are really important.”
PDO refer to Protected Designation of Origin while PDI represents Protected Geographical Indicators.
Paterson said the government has a “real role” in helping to build up brand integrity.
He said he was happy to “go down the line of helping the industry” and work alongside the industry on branding.
He also urged English wine producers to unite with the use of a single label for the promotion of exports.
“We could do more to promote English wine,” he said.
The enviroment secretary was speaking to represenatives from the wine industry at Ridgeview wine estate in Sussex.
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