Vientiane,- FAO in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Lao PDR, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Embassy in Vientiane has launched a regional symposium promoting the Geographical Indications (GI) initiative which aims to help smallholder farmers reach a much broader market.

The GI is an intellectual property right of a product and is specific to its geographical location. Receiving a GI certification means a product is named after its geographical origin, such as “Kampot Pepper” from Cambodia or “Darjeeling Tea” from India. In order to receive a GI certification on a product, farmers must meet specifications and standards on food quality, production and marketing mechanisms. Coffee from Lao PDR’s Bolaven Plateau is poised to receive that country’s first GI recognition.

“FAO is working in close collaboration with governments to help smallholder farmers like Lao PDR’s coffee growers, improve their production methods and gain better access to international markets,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. “When smallholder farmers have greater capacity to package and market their own products, it eliminates the ‘middleman’ and that gives farmers’ greater control over their products, which in turn can lead to an improvement in their livelihoods and food security.” 

The symposium, which has drawn participants from across Asia as well as France and the United Kingdom, aims to promote a better understanding of how to access the GI system, as well as provide an opportunity for smallholder farmers to showcase their products in national and international markets. In addition to farmers, the participants include international traders, hoteliers and restauranteurs. As part of an exhibition, cooks from various countries will prepare meals using only GI certified products.

In Southeast Asia alone, more than 150 GIs have been registered.  In addition to gaining access to a broader range of markets, obtaining GI status is credited with improving the quality of products for sale.

FAO is working through its country offices to support the GI initiative and engages with public and private sector stakeholder in order to promote the local products.  This symposium is the first in a series of meetings that will be held across Southeast Asia in the coming weeks.  

For further information, contact:

Allan Dow

FAO Regional Communication Officer (Asia-Pacific)

Tel: +66 2 697 4126 Email: [email protected]

Stephane Passeri/GI Project Coordinator  [email protected]