Part 3: Strategic management of origin-linked products
Identifying origin-linked products
First there must be a product (agricultural, foodstuffs, handicrafts, industrial, mined products or any other goods) which has a characteristic(s), reputation, or quality linked to its geographical origin and which also has a name or sign associated with the product.
Tools for implementing an origin-linked product strategy
As part of an overall marketing strategy, OLP producers can use IP tools such as Geographical Indications, and trade marks (Individual, Collective or Certification marks) as well as quality labels, to protect their OLPs and unlock the potential added value which can be accrued to their products.
Defining Geographical Indication intellectual property tool
Geographical Indications are defined in the TRIPS agreement of the World Trade Organization as:
“indications, which identify a good as originating in the territory of a Member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin”.
Examples of Geographical Indications
Most commonly, a Geographical Indication consists of the name of the place of origin of the OLP, for example, Monserrat Hills Trinidad and Tobago for cocoa or Darjeeling for tea. It can also be a name accompanied by a common name e.g. Saffron of Taliouine which comes from Morocco; or Cafe de Colombia from Colombia. GIs can also have non-geographical names if the GI is linked to a place of production of the product e.g. Vinho Verde in Portugal for wine; Reblochon in France for cheese, and Argan oil from the Argan tree in Morocco.
Terroir and Geographical Indications
Origin-linked products which can be protected as GIs have a distinct quality or characteristic(s) strongly linked to the terroir/territory. The terroir is composed of several elements such as climate, soil, surrounding plants and topography and constitutes multiple interactions within a specific geographical area between local value-chain stakeholders/community, their environment and the product they produce.
Learning exercise
Grenada nutmeg
Grenada has a history of growing nutmeg which goes back to the 19th century.
Globally, the bulk of nutmeg traded commercially normally comes from Indonesia and the Moluccas islands. The nutmeg grown in Grenada, however, has several specific and unique quality characteristics which can be attributed to the geographical area of production and to local know-how.
Additionally, it has a distinctive flavour profile, is low in aflatoxin which is not the case for other nutmeg grown in other countries, and there is no adulteration of the final product.
Grenada nutmeg also has a global reputation for being of an extremely high quality.
In addition, the local producers grow, harvest and process the nutmeg based on traditional know-how.
Question: Can Grenada nutmeg be considered an origin-linked product? If yes, explain why.
Grenada nutmeg can be considered as an origin-linked product.
Some of the IP tools explained in this training module (GIs, trade marks, etc.), could be used to protect and market this product, depending on several other factors related to the product and the value chain.