The Ghana Industrial Property Office (GHIPO) under the Registrar General's Department (RGD) has held a national stakeholders workshop on the protection of locally distilled gin, popularly known as Akpeteshie, as a geographical indication (GI)
The two-day stakeholder workshop, which took place on September 10 and 11 in Accra, aimed at promoting the broader understanding of how geographical indications (GIs), an intellectual property system, could be used to protect unique products of Ghanaian heritage such as the Palm Spirit (Akpeteshie/Apio) as a brand, to benefit producers, consumers and the country.
The workshop brought together palm wine tappers and distillers from Volta, Eastern and Ashanti regions, and various stakeholders from relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), among others, who are directly connected to the local gin’s value chain, to deliberate on the development, validation and promotion of a Book of Specifications (GI Code of Practice), which is necessary for the registration and protection of Apio as a GI.
The workshop forms part of the Registrar General’s Department’s ongoing commitment to promoting intellectual property awareness and supporting Ghanaian producers to add value to unique indigenous products through the Geographical Indications system.
Geographical indication benefits
Addressing the gathering, the Registrar-General, Grace Ama Issahaque, highlighted the economic potential of promoting and protecting unique products of national heritage through the GI system and the need for the country to pay attention to this intellectual property tool in branding such products for premium markets.
She stated that GI protection would strengthen unique local heritage products legally as a national brand, encourage consumer confidence, enable producers to expand their businesses, develop new product lines, and create sustainable employment opportunities, particularly within rural communities.
Branding
The Head of the GI and Plant Variety Protection Unit of GHIPO, Courage Komla Besah-Adanu (PhD), noted the importance of intellectual property protection, branding, and value addition in enhancing the competitiveness of unique Ghanaian heritage products. Using Akpeteshie (Apio) as a practical example, he called for improved production standards, quality packaging, and stronger protection of its name and cultural identity.
