Linking farmers to markets through valorisations of local resources:
The case for intellectual property rights of indigenous resources

DURAS Project

The main objective of the DURAS Project is to contribute to strengthening the involvement of southern stakeholders’ particularly non-traditional research actors in the agricultural research and innovation process.  It also endeavors to support them in ensuring that their voices are heard at the international and (sub) regional levels. The DURAS Project’s Competitive Grants Scheme (CGS) aims to encourage and promote innovation as well as to scale up innovative practices in ARD developed in the south; and to enhance scientific capacity southern partners. Two Calls for Proposals on four priority themes identified by GFAR stakeholders were launched in 2004.

Of the 302 submissions received, 12 were selected for funding on the basis of criteria that favors a balance among project feasibility, innovation, socio-economic consideration; sustainability considerations and partnership quality. One of these is: Linking farmers to markets through valorization of local resources: the case for intellectual property rights of indigenous resources, submitted by Prof. Johann Kirsten, of the Dept. Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Pretoria. This proposal was based on the fact that many poor communities in rural areas of Southern Africa own a rich diversity of traditional knowledge and indigenous resources (Cape indigenous flora; Mopani worms; Marula fruit etc.) and produce agro-food products based on local resources (rooibos tea etc.). Considering that many of them have a given quality, reputation or other characteristic essentially attributable to their geographical origin, labeling and protection through a geographical indication (GI) could apply to them. Nevertheless, rural communities in the SADC region generally market low value products or raw materials. Where differentiated products do exist, they are often the result of the initiative of medium or large-scale farmers and enterprises.

Project objectives

1. To develop a non-exhaustive list of local knowledge and indigenous resources which could potentially unlock wealth for local communities through intellectual property
2. To develop Southern African case studies on the interaction between local culture, geography and human activity in the development of agricultural products with unique characteristics
3. To strengthen local communities' capacity to a) assess the role and potential of GIs given their own local resources and development strategies, b) deliver insights for the design of the recommended legislative framework and c) exploit the opportunities for financial gain
4. Explore the potential for the use of GIs as a marketing and income-generating mechanism for products derived from and for traditional knowledge and/or indigenous resources holders
5. To evaluate the current legal and institutional framework (including existing administrative and collective organizations) and to assess the need for an alternative legal and institutional framework in order to make recommendations that will enhance the ability of resource-poor farmers to qualify their specific agro-food production and benefit from its commercialization
6. To develop the case study(ies) of the strongest product(s) to such a level that it could be submitted to both the South African and Namibian National Governments and the EU as GIs

Activities

• Collection and listing of indigenous knowledge and resources, and information sharing
• Participatory capacity building and case studies selection process
• Characterization of case studies
• Legal and institutional framework assessment
• Case studies preparation for submission as GIs
• Recommendations sharing
• Management and support activities

Expected outputs

• Improved awareness of GIs as a potential tool for improving market access and livelihoods.
• Non-exhaustive list of potential cases that could benefit from GIs.
• Set of criteria that may be used as guidelines by GI applicants.
• Selection of case-studies with assessment of their potential to benefit from GI protection.
• Enhanced appreciation by selected resource owners, of GIs, its linkages to market access and the importance of appropriate organizational frameworks in achieving improved market access.
• Adapted educational and participatory tool for community support to develop GIs.
• Documented and developed case-studies providing for different scenarios.
• Understanding of the interaction between cultural, geographical and human aspects in a Southern African context.
• Summary of existing laws and institutions related to GIs in development in SA and Namibia.
• Evaluation of the role GIs can play in supporting farming activities to improve access to markets.
• Policy recommendations for elaborating an appropriate institutional and legislative framework to establish a GI system supportive of rural poor communities' strategies.
• Selected products ready to be submitted to the EU for potential 3rd Country status.
• Recommendations for regional co-operation on shared GIs.
• Building and/or strengthening of partnerships with and amongst farmer organizations

Duration
From: September 2005 to August 2007

What follows is the detailed description and analysis of this project.

Setting the boundaries

Project description

Analysis

Resulting document

More information?

Please write to Oliver Oliveros, DURAS Project Office
Cellule du Projet Agropolis International
Avenue Agropolis F-34394, Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
E-mail: duras@agropolis.fr
http://www.duras-project.net