| Linking
farmers to markets through valorisation of local resources.
The case for intellectual
property rights of indigenous resources.
Many poor communities in rural areas of Southern Africa own a
rich diversity of traditional knowledge and indigenous resources
(Cape indigenous flora; Mopani worms; Marula fruit etc.) and
produce agro-food products based on local resources (Rooibos tea
etc.). Considering that many of them have a given quality,
reputation or other characteristic essentially attributable to
their geographical origin, labelling and protection through a
geographical indication (GI) could apply to them. Nevertheless,
rural communities in the SADC region generally market low value
products or raw materials. Where differentiated products do
exist, they are often the result of the initiative of medium or
large-scale farmers and enterprises.
Two central questions will be addressed by this project:
- "How can local communities
efficiently qualify and differentiate their production through
GIs?"
- "What is the nature and
extent of the required institutional and legal framework to
achieve this objective?
The activities of this
project include:
-
To develop a non-exhaustive list of local knowledge and
indigenous resources which could potentially unlock wealth for
local communities through intellectual property
-
To develop Southern African case studies on the interaction
between local culture, geography and human activity in the
development of agricultural products with unique
characteristics
-
To strengthen local communities' capacity to a) assess the
role and potential of IPRs given their own local resources and
development strategies, b) deliver insights for the design of
the recommended legislative framework and c) exploit the
opportunities for financial gain
-
Explore the potential for the use of GIs as a marketing and
income-generating mechanism for products derived from and for
traditional knowledge and/or indigenous resources holders
-
To evaluate the current legal and institutional framework
(including existing administrative and collective
organizations) and to assess the need for an alternative legal
and institutional framework in order to make recommendations
that will enhance the ability of resource-poor farmers to
qualify their specific agro-food production and benefit from
its commercialization
-
To develop the case study(ies) of the strongest product(s) to
such a level that it could be submitted to both the South
African and Namibian National Governments and the EU as GIs
This project is a collaboration between
-
Prof. Johann Kirsten, University of Pretoria, Dept.
Agricultural Economics and Rural Development
-
Dr Merida Roets, Scientific Roets
-
Dr Estelle Biénabe, CIRAD TERA
-
Dr Dirk Troskie, Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDA)
-
Justin W. van Fleet, ED.M
-
Bernd Rothkegel, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry,
Office of Permanent Secretary
-
Dr. Gillian L. Maggs-Kölling, National Botanical Research
Institute, Namibia
-
Cerkia Bramley, Adams & Adams Patent Attorneys
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