Geographical Indication as a tool to strengthen sociotechnical quality niches: The case of Corsican clementine.

In this paper, we explore the socio-technical mechanism through which Geographical Indications (GIs) can strengthen alternative quality models. Building on transition theory, we analyzed the reconfigurations of the Corsican Clementine basin under a recent Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Results show that the PGI stimulated 3 proc-esses - the construction of a local norm, the coordina-tion of actor network, and the strengthening of qual-ity - which together contributed to the success of the Corsican Clementine, despite its specific quality and production model were challenging the competition rules of the citrus sector. In the light of transition framework, these findings suggest that the PGI strengthened a prior existing socio-technical niche by regulating tensions with regime