Protected geographical indication in Sub-Saharan Africa: issues and implications

The emergence of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) as an intellectual property right has brought opportunities and challenges to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While many countries have taken measures to protect their origin-linked food products, countries in SSA seem to lag behind. The difficulty in doing so would not only cause the usurpation of their intellectual property rights but also preclude them from enjoying the economic and cultural benefits accruing from PGI. This article aims to examine the contemporary issues surrounding the establishment of PGI in SSA. We first briefly present the overview of PGI and then we describe some benefits linked to their development. We identified 145 potential Geographical Indications (GIs) in SSA and make a case on why they are yet to be protected. Slightly agreeing with earlier studies, we conclude that poor institutional framework coupled with inadequate capacity are the major factors hindering the development of GI in SSA. Finally, we provide policy considerations to tackle these challenges.