PDO and PDI help a lot when it comes to providing excellent and consistent ingredients. You could grow anything in the US and there are indeed great producers

PDO and PDI help a lot when it comes to providing excellent and consistent ingredients. You could grow anything in the US and there are indeed great producers for everything. The problem is recognition. PDO/DOP Parmigiano, prosciutto and olive oil and san marazano tomatoes are in the you cannot do wrong cathegory. They are always excellent. A pizza maker in the US will have a lot harder time discovering great ingredients made in US. Not because they don't exist, but because anyone can label almost anything.