The methodology developed in the research project Gingko is organized, through the adoption of a strong inter/transdisciplinary approach combining social sciences, such as institutional economics, contemporary history, social geography, law, as well as biotechnical sciences, such as agronomy, animal science, food science. As part of the IAD/SES framework, a specific attention will be paid on the spatial dynamics and the processes of collective learning and shared knowledge on the ecological and territorial embeddedness of GIs in relation to their territorial resources (land, terroir, genetic resources, plant health ...), related technical or social innovations, or on the reverse, identify institutional and organizational lock-ins and path dependencies to agroecological transitions.

WP1. ‘Knowledge ecosystems and GIs Models of regulation and collective action in France and in Europe”’ will analyze the diversity of models of collective action and regulations supporting GIs in France and in Europe, with a specific focus on the administrative INAO’s reform in 2006 on the framing of GIs collective action and third-party certification, and their impacts on their engagement and democratic decision making towards AET.

 WP2: ’Agroecological Transitions and GIs sustainability strategies: concepts, methods and case studies” will assess, using a set of app. 30 case studies (2-3 for each research team) covering various agroecosystems with different pedoclimatic conditions in France and abroad, and production (vineyards, fruit and vegetable, livestock farming (poultry, sheep, goat, cattle, milk production..) and abroad (Asia, Africa, South America …) the nature of agro-ecological strategies and related transitions pathways at various territorial scales adopted by GIs as a response to legal obligations and global environmental changes.

WP3: ’Mapping of transitions pathways of GIs and their territorial and legal determinants will develop, building on the previous workpackage, a mapping of transition pathways and alternative explanatory scenarii of their territorial and legal determinants, and how they affect in a feedback loop the dynamics and sustainability of social-ecological systems and landscapes.

WP4: ’Synthesis and dissemination” ‘will coordinate the project and synthetize the outcomes of the others WP, with the objective to contribute to current policy debates in France, but also at the EU and international level through the expert taskforce FAO/origin SSGI taskforce (“Sustainability Strategies of Geographical Indications”) to provide methodological guidance to GIs stakeholders.