Il patrimonio culturale per la dinamizzazione dell'economia territoriale: Il riconoscimento dell'indicazione geografica "Vale do Paraiba Fluminense" ad un caffਠcon identità culturale

Geographical Indications (GIs) plays an important role in economic growth and development in the rural area. Particularly in the area where the geographical characteristics and cultures highly contributes to a given product quality. This research aims to explore the possibility to evaluate the value of the region known as Vale do Paraà­ba Fluminense - Brazil or "Vale do Cafà©" and to highlight the potential of coffee as a high quality product with environmental friendly and social responsibility features. The coffee from this area is a cultural heritage that may provide a valuable economic resource for the area. The first phase of the research was carried out by using secondary data and in the second phase we applied Participatory Methodology according to the FAO using on-line questionnaires to identify the connection among the origin area, the local products and the possibility to use its natural resource for the development. For qualitative analysis, we interviewed the representatives of the different categories of stakeholders to gain the context of the historical context of the region. Finally, we conducted a quantitative survey with coffee consumers using the questionnaire. The finding indicates that the territory could reintroduce a historical cafà© as a symbol of wealth and decadence of that region and as an element of local economic potentials, exploiting the immaterial part of agricultural history, reintroducing the product in the local memory, drawing the population to get close to their history, particularly to raise their awareness of the value of the geographical name "Vale do Paraiba Fluminense" or "Vale do Cafà©" affiliated to the history of the region, and the coffee product that aims to revive favor of the territory, relocating the geographical name.