Colombia: the next #goodcoffee

The “Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia” has always been very active in protecting the “Café de Colombia” brand worldwide.

In 2005, Café de Colombia gained the protection as designation of origin (Denominación de Origen Protegida - DOP) in the country; two years later, in October 2007, Colombian Coffee became the first agricultural food product from a country that does not belong to the European Union to receive the EU PGI recognition.

The Federación is now trying to valorise regional varieties of Colombian coffee. This strategy of diversification has been recognised by the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC), which awarded the DOP to four regional varieties, including Café del Cauca, Huila and Nariño. In September 2014, a fifth variety has been awarded with a DOP by SIC (Resolution No. 50042 of 2014): Café de Santander.

For more information (in Spanish) regarding the area and method of production of Café de Santander: here.

For further account on Colombian GIs: Patricia Covarrubia, 'Colombia: Intellectual Property and Aboriginal Handicraft' in Sarah Sargent (ed), A New Millennium for Indigenous Rights: Challenges and Changes, Buckingham, University of Buckingham Press, 2014 (forthcoming).

Post written by Nicola Coppola, Bournemouth University.