Terroir, Appellations of Origin and the notion of place in peasant societies: key concepts for an anthropology of local production

Specialized local production in agrarian societies can be understood in the dynamics of the places where it is developed, based on two concepts: Appellations of Origin and Terroir. These concepts emerge from precision production practices, while being part of rural traditions and heritage of peasants and artisans in Europe and other regions with delimited productive histories and vocations. This paper aims to give an account of different experiences and notions related to these concepts, emphasizing their transformation and resignification processes according to the contexts of production, marketing and consumption where they have been implemented. The methodology reviews documents that discuss the concepts, both in the places where they have originated and in other latitudes where these have been worked in an applied or critical way, thus dealing with a diversity of approaches. The paper proposes a reflection on the inputs that the Terroir and the Appellations provide for the development of opportunities in rural production scenarios, such as those found in emerging regions of Latin America. In addition, it concludes with a review of elements ranging from the physical, organic and bioclimatic conditions of these vocations, to the sensitive, territorial, cultural and popular elements that also shape them.