1. Brussels Briefing n. 31 Geography of food: reconnecting with origin in the food system 15 th May 2013 http://brusselsbriefings.net Successes in GIs and other forms of protection in Africa and lessons learned Getachew Mengistie Alemu, Intellectual Property Consultant & Attorney

2. R OLE OF T RADEMARKS, C ERTIFICATION M ARKS & G EOGRAPHICAL I NDICATIONS IN MARKETING A GRICULTURAL P RODUCTS : E XPERIENCE OF A FRICA By Getachew Mengistie, Intellectual Property Consultant and Attorney Presented at The briefing meeting on geography of food: reconnecting with origin in the food system 15 May 2013, Brussels, Belgium

3. I NTRODUCTION Trade marks, Certification Marks and GI are elements of intellectual property IP tools are commonly used by business in the developed countries and the newly ICs to: protect IP Assets market products and service improve competitive position, and maximize gain Potential in using IP tools in Africa but little made and cases of misuse and misappropriation Recent encouraging developments

4. E NCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS Increasing awareness of IP Marketing tools Countries/ producers have embarked on or are in the process of protecting and managing their assets. Examples include:  Moroccan Argan oil  Ethiopian fine coffee  Kenyan tea  Uganda vanilla and Sesame  Zanzibar clove

5. E NCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS Ongoing initiatives include Uganda cotton, Tanzania Arabica coffee and OAPI program Limited to two success stories in Africa  Moroccan Argan Oil  Ethiopian Fine Coffee

6. A RGAN OIL M ORROCCO Argan oil produced from the kerneles of the fruit of Argan tree Product has reputation & good will in the international market Challenges include misuse, consistency in quality and lack of incentive to maintain & develop AT

7. A RGAN OIL M ORROCCO Identification of qualities, product specification, organization of producers Registration of GI Improvement in earning, quality of the product and maintenance of the tree

8. E THIOPIAN F INE C OFFEE T RADE MARKING & L ICENSING INITIATIVE Ethiopia produces some of the finest coffee in the world but gained very little. Inadequate return and fluctuation of price had adverse impact Problem of misappropriation

9. E THIOPIAN F INE C OFFEE Implemented an IP and branding strategy Secured TM ownership of coffee designations & strengthened partnership Change in marketing position Improved income and living standard etc.,

10. C HALLENGES IN USING IP TOOLS Lack of awareness of the significance of IP tools, need for protection, management & promotion Lack of or inadequate knowledge of legal regimes by producers and relevant stakeholders Inadequate capacity to identify distinctive characteristics of products, understand supply & value chains, develop and implement IP strategy Lack of organization of producers, weak or non inclusive organizations

11. C HALLENGES IN USING RELEVANT IP TOOLS Difficulty in bringing together and unifying diverse stake holders Lack of or inadequate resource in protecting, managing and promoting intangible assets- Cost involved in the protection, management and promotion Lack of capacity to monitor infringement and enforce IPR Expectations for immediate return and change

12. C ONCLUSION IP tools help in capturing intangible values of distinctive agricultural products or goods derived from agricultural products and enhance the income of farmers and countries Huge potential in Africa Need to: Create awareness Build capacity in identifying intangible assets, protecting, managing, promoting t IP assets etc, Ensure ownership of initiatives by key stakeholders Have initial support from government and development partners

13. Thank you very much for your attention!! getachewal@gmail.com