EUIPO, as the implementing agency for the “Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Action for Africa” (AfrIPI) project, funded by the European Union, has provided legal support to the filing of Penja Pepper (Cameroon) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) application in Europe.

This activity enhanced the capacity of the productive sector in African countries to compete in external markets through the use of protected GIs to identify the origin of their products.

The Penja Pepper (Cameroon) has already led the way as one of Africa’s first protected GI crops. The registration of this white pepper grown in the Penja Valley’s volcanic soil (the first African product to receive a GI label), has helped to stimulate a six-fold increase in local farmers’ incomes. 

The legal support in relation to the EU application for registration of the Penja Pepper as a protected GI in Europe has been provided by international and local legal experts, in close consultation with Cameroon Penja Pepper Producer Association, OAPI, and other relevant stakeholders.