This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

’ Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou '

EU No: PGI-GR-2461 – 28 June 2019

PDO ( ) PGI (X)

1.   Name(s)

’Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou'

2.   Member State or Third Country

Greece

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6. Fruit, vegetables and cereals fresh or processed

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

The product name ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ refers to the dried, hulled and split seeds of Pisum sativum, a pea plant. It is a local pea population which has been cultivated on the island of Amorgos since the beginning of the last century, and which has adapted extremely well to the soil and climate conditions of the island. The peas are yellow-orange in colour. Their distinctive feature is their high protein content: 100 g contains over 22 g of protein. They are also very small in size with 1 000 peas weighing on average 95,7 g (small-seeded).

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

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3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All the stages in the production process from cultivation (preparing the soil, sowing, irrigation, applying fertiliser, weeding, plant protection) to harvesting and drying the product, and including collecting seeds for the following year, must take place within the defined geographical area.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

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3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

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4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area is defined as the island of Amorgos, as the plant that produces the peas known as ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ is grown on the island of Amorgos. Administratively, Amorgos is part of the Regional Unit of Naxos in the South Aegean Region.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The link between ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ and the geographical environment of the island of Amorgos derives from its distinctive quality characteristics linking it to the isolated island of Amorgos.

Amorgos has a Mediterranean climate, mainly characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters. The average annual rainfall fluctuates from year to year. Rainfall occurs in autumn and, especially, winter.

The topography of Amorgos features steeply rising slopes with loose stones of varying size (scree), and other rising inclines with or without steps (terracing). The peas are sown on the island’s slopes or terraces and limited valley areas.

After the first autumn rains, weeds begin to appear. Ploughing then takes place in order to remove the weeds naturally. Weeding can be repeated two to three times so that the ground is free of weeds before the product ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ is sown. Ploughing also improves the capacity of the soils in the area to retain the available soil moisture and nutrients. Dry farming is practised, which relies on the moisture available in the soil. Producers usually choose to sow in January so that the subsequent rainfall provides the necessary moisture in the soil and the crop thrives in the prevailing dry conditions. Furthermore, many years of experience mean that producers have opted for January sowing. This also ensures that, throughout the sensitive stages of the growth cycle, from flowering in March to harvest in May, the crops are spared the warm south/south-east winds, known as the Libeccio, that blow through the region. Harvesting usually begins at the end of May, before the onset of the high summer temperatures, especially in July and August, which could destroy the peas.

The human factor also plays a very important role in ensuring the quality characteristics of the product. The producers’ expertise is based on the traditional cultivation method which has been passed down from generation to generation over hundreds of years. Sowing is done in the fields in the traditional way, by hand. Plant protection products are used as sparingly as possible. Based on their experience, producers carefully select the peas from their crop that will be used to sow next year’s crop. They do so in order to preserve the genetic purity of the product, and so that dry farming will be viable, as the seeds in question are extremely well adapted to the soil and climate conditions of the area. With their long years of experience, producers also know the right time to harvest, when the pods turn the characteristic brownish-yellow colour. Harvesting is usually done by hand on account of the terrain, which is steep with small and narrow steps (terracing) and difficult to access for harvesting machinery. It is always done early in the morning when there is more humidity and a mildness known locally as ‘apalada’ in order to avoid the pods splitting open and peas being lost. Finally, the splitting and hulling of the peas is usually done with hand-held grinding stones, although more modern methods, such as electric grinders, can also be used. Depending on production needs, grinders may be table-top (for smaller quantities) or free-standing (for larger quantities).

Producers typically use terms from the local dialect to describe the various cultivation stages, for example ‘niasimo’ for the process of preparing the soil before sowing in order to clear the weeds.

Dry farming of the product ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ is possible thanks to the experience of local producers with regard to the specific soil and climate conditions on the island of Amorgos, and the fact that a local pea population has been established. These factors also give the finished product its distinctive quality characteristics.

The population of Pisum sativum, the plant which produces ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’, was able to adapt and achieve genetic homogeneity on the island of Amorgos thanks to the following factors: the island’s geographical isolation; local climate and soil conditions; the long-established and characteristic (traditional) method of cultivating the plant on Amorgos; dry farming; use of seed from the previous crop; and the absence of other leguminous plants on the island.

The distinctive characteristics of the product ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ include the small size of the peas and their high protein content. Specifically, the local Pisum sativum population is the result the following: cultivation on the island over many years; the continuous selection by producers of seeds from plants with the desired characteristics and the use of local seed from the previous crop; the absence of pollination from other leguminous plants, as there are none on the island; and natural selection. This local population is characterised by the exceptionally small size of the peas, which is the result of dry farming and of the hot dry conditions on Amorgos. The pea population is also characterised by its high protein content. The small size of the peas is a desirable characteristic in pulses as it means that they absorb a lot of water when boiled, a property associated with the velvety texture that they acquire during cooking. The high protein content can mainly be attributed to the low relative humidity and high temperatures, characteristic of the hot dry climate of Amorgos.

Pisum sativum, which produces the peas known as ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’, has been grown on the island of Amorgos since the beginning of the last century to meet basic food needs, as it has a high protein content. In an isolated environment, such as the island of Amorgos, human survival depended on being able to meet dietary needs from local sources. Today ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ is still one of the most nutritious, and low-cost, options for the island’s inhabitants and visitors on account of its high protein content. In addition, the peas are used to make fava (yellow split pea puree), a well-known and widespread dish on the island.

All the historical sources to date refer to ‘Το Φάβα της Αμοργού / To Fava tis Amorgou’ in the neuter gender, whereas in all other regions of Greece ‘fava’ is a feminine noun; the same applies to all female names in the local dialect of the island of Amorgos.

Reference to publication of the specification

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/agrotis/POP-PGE/prodigrafes_fava_amorgou060723.pdf

(1)   OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.