Advancement of EUIPO Mentorships for GI Producers in the Andean Community
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), in the context of the EU-funded IP cooperation project AL-INVEST Verde IPR, celebrates important advancements in the mentorship for producers of geographical indications (GIs) in the Andean Community. The initiative spans Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, and aims to empower producer associations by enhancing the value, visibility, and sustainability of their GI-labelled agri-food products.
The mentorships in the Andean Community mark the latest mentorships of the AL-INVmentor initiative, focusing on reinforcing sustainable local development through effective use of intellectual property rights (IPRs), especially GIs and trade marks. Building on previous successful mentorships in the MERCOSUR region and Brazil’s coffee sector, the Andean mentorships are tailored to the unique opportunities and challenges faced by GI stakeholders in the region.
The producer groups who participate in this mentorship, selected in close collaboration with the local partners: INDECOPI (Peru), SIC (Colombia), and SENADI (Ecuador), are:
- Native potato from Ayacucho, Peru
- Achira biscuits from Huila, Colombia
- Galápagos coffee, Ecuador
The mentorships aim to support sustainable production, biodiversity conservation, and social equity, while also strengthening market access through the strategic use of IPRs. The first sessions focus on stakeholder mapping, priority identification, and the development of tailored strategies for each selected product. These will be followed by in-depth training on GI system setup and management, legal frameworks, control mechanisms such as traceability, and support for obtaining effective protection.
By equipping producers with the tools to manage and market their GIs effectively, the EUIPO contributes to sustainable rural development and regional economic growth in the region. These efforts also reinforce the EU’s commitment to responsible trade, environmental sustainability, and fair value distribution across agri-food value chains.
The EUIPO is an international GI registration authority that builds on decades of expertise leading the EU’s international cooperation activities on IP rights, including geographical indications. The EUIPO was recently entrusted with managing the registration of craft and industrial GIs at EU level. The first applications can be filed from 1 December 2025.