Geographical Indications (GIs)

Two dozen Beninese women making a unique type of garri flour sign up to a new code of practice to better market their product and boost incomes.

Natural, heritage products, if protected and marketed well, could become a bigger source of revenue for many Least Developed Countries. Many of these countries are dangerously dependent on commodity exports and must diversify their economies.

Farmers from Kampot, Cambodia went to Italy to talk about how UNCTAD helped them spice up their business and make kampot pepper a success.

​Rural communities could gain significantly from the introduction of Geographical Indications for branding their products, representatives of UNCTAD said at the Second International Conference on Agriculture in an Urbanizing Society held in Rome from 14–17 September.

Sharing experience of promoting rural products from least developed countries by highlighting their unique geographical origins, representatives of UNCTAD participated in a "Buy Local, Act Global" event at the Ninth World Chamber Congress organized by the International Chamber of Commerce on 10-12 June 2015 in Turin, Italy.

Least developed countries such as Myanmar can add value to unique products by establishing legal and commercial frameworks indicating their geographical origin.

The workshop organized by UNCTAD on 16 December in Palais des Nations reported important lessons learned and established a dialogue with representatives of rural communities in Least Developed Countries and the Geneva community.

The workshop "Making Geographical Indications work for Rural Communities in selected Asian Countries: Identify Products and Drafting of Disciplinary for Geographical Indication Registration" organized by UNCTAD took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 11-12 December 2014.

Participants consider how laws on geographical indications and branding initiatives can assist rural communities in LDCs to promote their products and enter value chains, while preserving territorial integrity and biodiversity.