EUIPO launches new mentorships in the Andean Community, for artisanal products and for GI coffee in Brazil
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announces the launch of three new mentorships in Latin-America in the context of the AL-INVmentor programme of the AL-INVEST Verde IPR project. The initiative aims at fostering the strategic use of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in Latin-America, with a special focus on geographical indications (GIs) and trademarks, to reinforce the role of IPRs in driving innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability.
Artisan products
The mentorships for artisan products are specifically designed to mentor businesses and individuals in Colombia and Chile with a focus on aligning with Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 which established EU-wide protection for GIs of craft and industrial (CI) products and granted the EUIPO full authority to manage the registration process. These mentorships prioritize artisan products with deep cultural and geographical significance, qualifying them for GI protection under both national and international legal frameworks.
Andean Community
The mentorships in countries of the Andean Community, principally Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, focus on agricultural products such as coffee, cocoa, wood, cattle or their derivatives that are susceptible for GI protection under national and international laws. With a special focus on aligning with the EU’s Regulation on deforestation-free products (May 2023) to address responsible land use and sustainable agricultural practices, and the proposed EU Green Claims Directive.
Brazilian GI Coffee
The mentorships in Brazil are particularly suitable for members of Origen Controlada Café, a digital platform made up of 100,000 producers -primarily small businesses- designed to manage, trace, and authenticate Brazilian GIs coffee production. This platform is a milestone in the digitalization of coffee GIs, supported by key Brazilian partners like the Brazilian Service of Support to Micro and Small Enterprises (SEBRAE), the Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI), and the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil, the CNA Institute.
About the mentorships
The programme consists of targeted mentorships and training for the respective producer associations, covering topics such as: the development of product specifications, governance structures, sustainable production compliance (water usage, biodiversity conservation, soil management, and energy efficiency), and market-oriented branding and traceability measures.
The initiative is expected to enhance producer knowledge on IPRs, increase visibility of the products, and equip local businesses with the tools to expand their international presence. It also aims to boost consumer trust through transparent certification mechanisms. Additional mentorships under AL-INVmentor will be launched to support other producers in MERCOSUR and Chile, particularly those active in critical forest conservation areas and other key industries.
Through this initiative, the EUIPO continues its commitment to supporting knowledge transfer, policy alignment, and capacity building, ensuring that Latin American producers fully benefit from the opportunities that IPRs in general and GIs in particular, provide.