The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Economy of the Nation approved the Production Protocol and granted the recognition, registration, protection and right of use of the Geographical Indication (GI) "Peperina Serrana de Córdoba y San Luis", by Resolution N° 201/2026.
The measure approves the Production Protocol, the geographical delimitation and the official logos that identify the protected products, granting the Certificate of Right of Use to the Civil Association Abierta Sin Fines de Lucro Consejo de la I.G. Peperina Serrana de Córdoba y San Luis.
With this milestone, peperina (Minthostachys verticillata) becomes the 21st product to be incorporated into the national map of Argentine foods with a seal of origin (15 Geographical Indications and 6 Denominations of Origin of agri-food products), a legal system that formally recognizes and protects a differentiated quality associated with the territory and regional economies. The delimited geographical area covers 77,028 km² distributed along the Sierras Grandes, Sierras Chicas and the Comechingones mountain range.
Peperina from the mountain territory stands out for a highly intense, fresh, minty-herbal aromatic profile with slightly sweet nuances. This differentiated quality responds to ecological and edaphoclimatic conditions. The relationship of local communities with peperina is based on a centenary tradition of manual harvesting. To safeguard the native resource and ensure its natural regeneration, the protocol establishes the obligation to harvest only in the post-flowering stage, leaving at least 20% of the flowered stalks intact.
According to data from the National Directorate of Food and Regional Development (DNAyDR), from January to August 2026, exports of products with the distinctive seals of Geographical Indication and Denomination of Origin (GI/DO) reached a total value of USD 63.18 million and 41.58 thousand tons, registering a year-on-year increase of 55.34% in value and 87.18% in volume.
The granting of the Geographical Indication is framed in Law N° 25.380 and its amending Law N° 25.966, and had the endorsement of the Governments of Córdoba and San Luis, the technical report of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the favorable recommendation of the National Advisory Commission on Geographical Indications and Denominations of Origin.
