Rakuten : Announces Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies Department of Central Inspectorate on the Protection of Geographical Indications for Italian Agricultural Products Sold on Rakuten Ichiba

December 14, 2021

• Rakuten Group, Inc.

Rakuten Announces Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies Department of Central Inspectorate on the Protection of Geographical Indications for Italian Agricultural Products Sold on Rakuten Ichiba

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Tokyo, December 14, 2021 - Rakuten Group, Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement with the Department of the Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Fraud Repression of Agri-Food Products (ICQRF), the central organization responsible for administering geographical indications^*1 within Italy's Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, on the protection of the geographical indications displayed on Italian agricultural products sold through the Rakuten Ichiba online shopping mall.

Both parties will undertake quality management relating to geographic indications of more than 40 Italian agricultural products^*2 sold on Rakuten Ichiba, including Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI and Gorgonzola PDO, which are protected under the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Specifically, the ICQRF will monitor products sold on Rakuten Ichiba and provide information to Rakuten. Meanwhile, Rakuten will work alongside the ICQRF to monitor the treatment of products based on the relevant Japanese laws and regulations, with additional support from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). In the event that an incorrectly displayed product is identified, measures will be taken such as encouraging the shop selling the product to correct the listed product information. In addition, dedicated web content designed to educate shops and customers about the protection of the geographical indications will be released on a special site and web pages for merchants.

Felice Assenza, ICQRF's Head of Department, said, "The daily monitoring of Italian products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)^*3 and Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) certifications on marketplaces, carried out by the inspectors of ICQRF, increases the online protection of global consumers."

Francesco Battistoni, Under Secretary of State, Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, stated, "We will accomplish two important objectives through this agreement: Promoting the agri-food excellence of the 'Made in Italy' brand and protecting consumers who choose to buy Italian products. This key alliance with Rakuten benefits both Italian producers and Japanese consumers by protecting them from potential commercial product fraud."

Kazunori Takeda, Rakuten Group Executive Vice President, President of Commerce Company, said, "Since launch, Rakuten has worked alongside a diverse range of organizations to provide a reliable, trustworthy marketplace, and we have put many measures in place to maximize the quality of products sold on Rakuten Ichiba. By partnering with the ICQRF to ensure the accuracy of information for Italian agricultural products sold on Rakuten Ichiba, we look forward to providing customers with greater peace of mind so they can enjoy a better shopping experience."

Going forward, Rakuten and the ICQRF will focus not only on the protection of the geographical indications of Italian agricultural products but also on ensuring the reliability and security of Rakuten Ichiba, allowing users to shop with even greater peace of mind.

*1 The system for registering and protecting the name (geographical indication) of an agricultural product as intellectual property, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical place of origin, be it a traditional method of production, climate or soil.
*2 As of December 2021.
*3 European Union system that protects rights to the exclusive use of geographic names of origin for agricultural and food products.

Key initiatives (planned)

Planned measures are as follows:
・The ICQRF to monitor geographical indications on Italian agricultural products sold through Rakuten Ichiba and provide information to Rakuten
・Rakuten to verify the status of products being bought and sold on Rakuten Ichiba, including issuing requests to shops found to be selling inappropriately indicated products to correct the listed information
・Rakuten to publish educational content targeted at Rakuten Ichiba merchants and customers on the importance of protecting geographical indications.

• Francesco Battistoni (top left), Under Secretary of State, Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies, Felice Assenza (left), ICQRF's Head of Department, and H.E. Mr. Gianluigi Benedetti (right), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic, with Kazunori Takeda (bottom center), Rakuten Group Executive Vice President, President of Commerce Company.

About ICQRF
The Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Fraud Repression of Agri-Food Products (ICQRF) is the central control organization for Italian agri-food in the European Union. A department of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, it was created in 1986 to protect Italy's high quality of food and beverage products. It consists of a headquarters in Rome and 30 peripheral stations operating throughout Italy's national territory. For more information visit https://www.politicheagricole.it.