Indicações geográficas, capital social e desenvolvimento territorial.

This article addresses the question of the construction of distinctive market signals, particularly the geographical indications of agri-food products as an instrument for the development of essentially rural territories and / or regions. The approach takes into account two experiences regarding the state of Rio Grande do Sul from a comparative analysis that exposes their respective advances and weaknesses. The research was based on interviews conducted between 2008 and 2012 with various social actors linked to both initiatives. The study shows that these devices alone are not enough to widen horizons in regions marked by an individualistic rationality and little open to cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]