Jundiahy's niagara grape receives recognition as Geographical Indication

The National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) recognized this Tuesday (04/04) the Geographical Indication (GI) of Jundiahy's pink niagara grape, in the Indication of Origin category. Spelling the word with the letters “h” and “y” was one of the biggest challenges for the group of producers from the municipalities of Jundiaí, Louveira, Itupeva, Jarinu and Itatiba to obtain the geographical indication. According to the organizers involved in the process, the first meeting to initiate the demand took place in 2009.

According to Francisco José Mitidieri, tax auditor at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the achievement is yet another example of work that involves the articulation of many people who have been engaged, contributed and believed during all these years of prospecting and raising awareness. , which are part of the methodology that Mapa uses.

The spelling of Jundiahy is explained because in the past, between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, grapes were cultivated in an immense area of ​​land called Jundiahy. Afterwards, the municipalities were separated, but the grape became known as the ‘Jundiahy grape’. In the process of recognizing the GI, at the beginning of 2022, the INPI would have requested that the spelling be changed to Jundiaí, which was discarded by the producers.

“This spelling with ‘y’ was the point of union of the municipalities that currently produce the grape. They recognize themselves as members of that territory, because they produce the pink Niagara grape, have similar colonization and at the same time, cultivate on the same soil. They feel a sense of belonging,” he said. Mitidieri has photos of the first meetings in which Mapa accompanied the producers, in 2012. He personally joined the group in 2014, providing guidance on the methodology.

In addition to this support, the Mapa team in Brasília issued a document called 'official instrument', which attests to the notoriety of the region and the inclusion of those producers in the geographical delimitation that required the GI. The opinion is issued after analyzing a series of documents and is one of the INPI's requirements to grant the indication of origin.

Izabel Harder, director of Agribusiness at Jundiaí City Hall, said that this resistance to the old spelling and the delimitation of the territory were the most complex moments of the entire process. “It was very complicated to define the territory that would be recognized, and at this point, Mapa’s participation was fundamental. The ministry gave us direction,” she said.

Izabel is particularly happy because the GI is formalized at a time when the emergence of the pink Niagara grape in the region turns 90 years old. According to her, a mutation of the white grape was discovered in 1933 by Antônio Carbonari, who today gives its name to the park where the traditional Grape Festival is held every year.

“Now we are going to start a process of publicizing and valuing this indication of origin. We know that our grape has a striking aroma, but now we want to prove this, seeking a designation of origin process,” he said.

The production specification, created during the process, will be essential for producers interested in benefiting from recognition to cultivate grapes within established standards.

Rene José Tomasetto, president of the Jundiaí Agricultural Association, said that the five municipalities covered bring together between 700 and 800 grape producers. He said that the first grape festival in the region took place in 1934, shortly after the discovery of the pink grape. “Before, there were only white grapes here.” The party takes place over four weekends between January and February, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The idea, according to Tomasetto, is to attract more tourists to the region and awaken interest in Jundiahy's pink Niagara. The president of the association also explained another spelling confusion. Many people think Niagara has an accent, but he confirms that it doesn't. Niagara is the name of the famous Canadian Falls. The grape from the interior of São Paulo, according to him, has no accent. The Jundiahy GI is the 102nd Brazilian GI registered with INPI.

The achievement is also celebrated by the group because it was announced two days before the installation of the Forum for Geographical Indications and Collective Trademarks of the State of São Paulo. The ceremony that marks the creation of this collegiate will take place next Thursday, April 6th, at the São Paulo Agriculture and Livestock Superintendence.