Coffee of the Coffea Canephora species, produced in the Forests of Rondônia, recently received the registration of Geographical Indication (GI) from the BPTO (Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office), in the Designation of Origin category. The coffee is the result of a cross between the Conilon and Robusta varieties, selected for decades by producers, who adopted the name “Amazonian Robustas”.
With the certification of Amazonian Robustas, there are now four GI registrations issued by the BPTO in 2021 for coffee: Caparaó (ES and MG) and Montanhas do Espírito Santo (ES) of Designation of Origin; and Espírito Santo (ES) of Indication of Origin. Agricultural products make up the majority of Brazilian GIs: there are 59 records out of the 80 existing so far.
GIs are signs of distinction and valuation of traditional products linked to certain territories and contribute to biodiversity preservation, knowledge, and natural resources. For the granting of a GI, in addition to quality, factors such as defined production area, typicality, authenticity, and the discipline of the production method are taken into account. There are two types of GIs: the Indication of Origin, which values the production tradition and public recognition of quality, and the Designation of Origin, in which case the characteristics of the territory add a differential to the product.
