What the heck are you talking about 'retroactively'. The Vidalia onion industry started there in the 1930s and grew in popularity every year since then. It was only until the 1970s when they started seeing imitations and the "-like" onions grown elsewhere and created associations and the like to centralize the growing region. Besides being protected within the State of Georgia (1986) it is also a trademarked product, which IS offered at least some protection outside the state. In the end, I don't really care about the protections per se. I know when I buy a Vidalia onion, I always look to see where it was grown, so it's a moot point IMO.
That’s what I meant. The Vidalia onion has been around for long enough that in most people’s minds it just means “sweet onion,” so it became a generic name. You say you always look to see where it was grown (I look at all my produce to see that, frankly), so if only Vidalia onions from Vidalia could be labeled as “Georgia Vidalias,” that would probably make it easier.
I honestly don’t see how we can want the government to go in and start imposing names on things retroactively and then pursuing supposed violaters. But if a farmers’ group wants to start calling them Georgia Vidalias and try to set up standards for their production, I think that’s fine, and they can henceforth market them with the name Georgia Vidalia, which will make them more valuable to consumers. But having the government get in there and mess around with names is just something we don’t need.