HCMCity (VNA) - Geographic indication (GI) is considered an effective wayof protecting and adding value to unique products, and should be used more inVietnam, experts have said.

GI designations show that products have specific geographical origin andqualities or a reputation due to that origin.

GI is used to protect traditional products whose uniqueness and reputation areclosely linked with the geographical location where they originated.

Speaking at a seminar in HCM City on April 4, Pham Xuan Da of the Ministry ofScience and Technology said that GI could add value, increase access to new orexisting markets, gain a competitive advantage, and reap more profits. It alsohelps fight against misuse or unhealthy competitive acts.

GI protection preserves biodiversity and develops traditional industries andtourism sector and help consumers understand the value of the products.

As of last month, Vietnam has granted protection certificates to 66 GIs, ofwhich six are from other countries, he said.

Delphine Marie-Vivien, researcher in intellectual property and food law atCIRAD, a French research centre specialising in international agricultural anddevelopment issues, said: “The origin of food is important for consumers whovalue tradition and cultural identity and who are sensitive to specificsensorial and organoleptic characteristics of these products. Some consumersare willing to pay more to find such characteristics in the product.”

Vietnam drew up a legal framework for GI protection in 1995 under which theState is the owner of the GI, and has the right to register the GI. It candelegate the right to producers (both organisations and individuals) andadministrative authorities of the locality.

The State has the right to manage the use of GI, control and promotion, but italso can delegate the responsibility to people’s committees in provinces,districts or cities.

Producers have the right to use the GI, including organisations and individualsauthorized by the managing authority.

Yet despite the political will to promote GIs, the use of registered GIs onproducts for sale in Vietnam is still limited due to a lack of awareness amongproducers and consumers and a lack of interest from local stakeholders about GIvalue, as well as the absence of involvement by local authorities in thepromotion of GI and GI products.

Other issues include lax implementation of quality control and lack ofefficient collective action to manage the GI.

As a result, it is necessary to overcome the lack of awareness, strengthenorganisation of producers and processors after initial GI registration, andbuild up efficient control systems before commercialisation that can helpprevent fraud.

Da gave Ben Tre province as an example, saying it recently obtained GIcertifications for its grapefruit and Xiem coconuts, which would helpbusinesses and farmers develop markets for these GI products.

After successfully obtaining GI certificate, much more efforts are needed to promotethe use of the GI, Da said.

GI protection had a beneficial impact on economic development in many areas ofthe province’s economy, and thus producers should learn about the GI system, hesaid.

Tran Anh Tuan, an expert on market research, said demand for coconut water,coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut ice cream has increased significantly inthe global market, offering more opportunities for the province to develop suchproducts.

To exploit GIs in the most effective way, producers need to “enhance innovationto come up with better and higher added value products,” he said.

Representing the province, Le Van Tan, Director of the provincial Department ofScience and Technology, said the province would establish regulations on GImanagement and using and grant GIs and revoke the right to use GIs.

It will also oversee the farming process of GI products and promote GI productsboth in domestic and international markets.

Since its GI coconut products are mainly for export, participants at the seminarsaid the province should register to protect its GI products in other countriesto create a solid legal foundation for exports.

The seminar on the role and impact of GIs in local economic development wasorganised by the Vietnamese High Quality Goods Association and the Ben Treprovince People’s Committee on the sidelines of the Vietnamese High QualityProducts Fair in District 11.-VNA