Indicações geográficas: as flores e plantas ornamentais de clima temperado produzidas em Maracás, no semiárido da Bahia/Brasil

Abstract

The ornamental horticulture value chain has been expanding in Brazil, and one of the factors contributing to this growth is the country’s climatic conditions, which favor cultivation. Over the past five years, there has been significant growth in flower production in most Brazilian states, with particular emphasis on the Northeast Region. This scenario has led governments, civil society, and the private sector—especially those linked to family-based production—to view Geographical Indications (GIs) as an important tool in territorial development projects. The general objective of this research was to establish the notoriety of temperate-climate flowers and ornamental plants produced in Maracás, in the semi-arid region of Bahia, Brazil. The research problem sought to identify the factors that confer notoriety on local production, based on the hypothesis that flowers and ornamental plants cultivated in Maracás/BA have sufficient notoriety to be registered as a GI. In addition to the theoretical framework, the epistemological foundations were based on Michael Polanyi’s concepts of tacit and explicit knowledge and Milton Santos’ notion of the “used territory.” Regarding the methodological approach, this is an exploratory study of a qualitative and quantitative nature, employing a single case study. Data collection techniques included bibliographic and documentary analysis, field research, and the application of semi-structured questionnaires using the Delphi method and an intensity scale. The spatial scope comprised the municipality of Maracás, located in the Vale do Jiquiriçá Identity Territory, 367 km from Salvador, in the state of Bahia. The research received approval from the Research Ethics Committee. The results demonstrate that the cultivation and production of flowers and ornamental plants in Maracás/BA constitute a territorial asset of significant economic, cultural, and social relevance, recognized within the Vale do Jiquiriçá Identity Territory as a constitutive element of regional identity. The investigation showed that the notoriety of these products goes beyond the economic dimension, being associated with the construction and diffusion of tacit and explicit knowledge among producers, the preservation of traditional know-how, and the articulation of the territory as a socially constructed space. Additionally, the findings indicate that Maracás has high potential for the recognition of the first Geographical Indication for flowers and ornamental plants in Brazil. Data analysis revealed a high degree of consensus among experts, the predominance of experienced producers, generational diversity, gender balance, and a high level of education. The notoriety of production is corroborated by publications, awards, and institutional recognition, as well as by the existence of formally structured productive organizations qualified to apply for registration with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Continuous participation in fairs and events over nearly three decades has consolidated Maracás as a regional hub for floral production, reinforcing the feasibility of the GI application.