The west African nation of Benin has registered its first protected geographical indication at the African Intellectual Property Organisation on 28 October. It concerns the sugarloaf pineapple from the Allada Plateau.
According to the Pan-African Geographical Indications Information Hub website, this registration is the result of several years of collaboration between the government of Benin, industry stakeholders, the European Union (providing technical and financial support) and the French Development Agency, with additional guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN.
As the Benin government is investing in the transformation of its agricultural sector, it is paying special attention to the development of value chains with high value-added potential, such as the pineapple industry. Pineapples are one of the main crops with export potential after cotton and cashew nuts.
Source: worldtrademarkreview.com