Cacao de Caripito receives Protected Geographical Indication by the Venezuelan State

Cacao de Caripito receives Protected Geographical Indication by the Venezuelan State

This article first appeared in WTR Daily, part of World Trademark Review, in January 2022

Cacao de Caripito is declared a Protected Geographical Indication, applied to cocoa beans produced in the Bolívar Municipality of the state of Monagas, whose capital is Caripito, Venezuela.

This November 1st, the declaration of Cacao de Caripito as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) by the Venezuelan State was announced through resolution N° 1040 issued by the Venezuelan Intellectual Property Office (SAPI).

According to the same resolution, this protection is given by the splendid qualities of the cocoa bean produced in the area, where the geographical and climatic factors outline the conditions for it to be considered as a top quality bean; knotted to the fulfillment of the appropriate processes of planting, harvesting and post harvesting, and the great reputation demonstrated through documents and its participation in cocoa fairs at national and international level.

Cacao de Caripito now joins Cocuy Larense as a Protected Geographical Indication recently granted by the Venezuelan state.

The application for the declaration of protection of the geographical indication “Café Boconó” produced in the state of Trujillo is currently being processed. If granted by the SAPI, it would be the third PGI recently granted in Venezuela.

Considering the above, Cacao Caripito is the second PGI granted to a Venezuelan product during this year, which represents a great advance in this system in Venezuela after the previous establishment of the procedure for obtaining Declarations of Protection of Geographical Indications, by means of Resolution N°19 with entry into force on December 28, 2020; and which regulates the way to obtain declarations of geographical indications for products originating in any region or locality of the Venezuelan territory, when it is determinable that the characteristics, reputation or quality of this product are specifically due to its geographical origin (more details here).

Therefore, it is important to highlight that for the country, having a formal procedure to process and grant PGI is considered a great advance and a reason for joy, which allows filling legal gaps derived from the great legislative delay in updating a regulatory framework dating from 1955, together with the formal withdrawal from the Andean Community and its suspension in the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). Without forgetting the great importance of intellectual property rights in the economic growth of a country and, correlatively, their positive impact on the Gross Domestic Product.