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GIs are used to identify a good as originating in a delineated territory or region where a
noted quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to
its geographic origin and/or the human or natural environmental factors there.
Geographical Indications
as a tool
The challenge for regional agri-food producers
is that they are more accustomed to using
trademarks/service marks, certification marks
and, to a lesser extent, collective marks as
product promotional tools and to build brand
presence in their chosen markets. However, not
much attention has been placed on using GIs to
effect the same. Indeed, the regional interest in
GIs has come about in recent times as a result
of specific obligations under the CARIFORUM-
EU EPA.
GIs are used to identify a good as originating in
a delineated territory or region where a noted
quality, reputation or other characteristic
of the good is essentially attributable to its
geographic origin and/or the human or natural
environmental factors there. Such indications
provide a form of IPRs protection which is based
on the fundamental premise that GIs are a unique
and distinct category of signs which should be
accorded special treatment, due to the indelible
link between regional products and specific
characteristics of their geographical origin and/
or the unique processes which impart a distinctive
and unique quality to the product. As an example,
the GI ‘Pico Duarte Coffee’ is used for coffee
produced in the Jarabacoa coffee producing region
in the northern slopes of the Cordillera Central
mountain chain in the Dominican Republic. The
Cluster de Café de Jarabacoa sought to obtain
the GI to improve the quality and reputation of
the coffee grown by producers in the region, by
establishing quality standards based on market
requirements, and to gain an extra premiumprice
for their product on themarket. The strategy was
based on exploiting the unique flavour of the
coffee beans produced in the delineated region,
the environmental conditions in the mountain
ranges where the coffee is produced as well as
local production practices.
To create value from OLPs, marketing and
promotional strategies are fundamentally
grounded on the terroir as well as collective
action. The collective action is based on the GI
being owned collectively by producers within
the delineated area who meet the product
specification as defined within the application
Clearing the Hurdles
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