LAUSR

The present work aims at understanding the system (components and inter‐relations) of the indication of provenance type of geographical indication for territorial development. A case study of a Brazilian region that has a cheese indication of provenance, Serro, was performed with a systemic approach based on the soft system methodology. Data were collected through document analysis, direct observation, and interviews (with 15 subjects) and analysed through content analysis. Results indicate that the registration itself does not generate all aspects of territorial development. The recognition of a geographical indication can stimulate the process, but its success depends on actors' Weltanschauung and the systems' interconnections. Thereby, leaderships assume a fundamental role in modelling this type of structure. This opens possibilities for government policy linked to development, which can benefit from a systemic perspective, because it involves complex demands, ambiguous relations, conflicts of interests, and interconnected solutions involving multiple institutions.