ABBI WEEKLY Ethiopia 2-8 May 2007
Franco-Ethiopian project patents 100 home gardens grown products
By Tedla Yeneakal

Franco-Ethiopian cooperation project, ‘Home Gardens' is to set up a legal cooperate system of Geographical Indications, a Scientific means to patent 100 Ethiopian Home grown products as well as to promote terroir produce and preserve biodiversity.
The project that will spread over four years started operations in October 2006 and comprises five phases. However, the scientific research in different parts of the country and fund accumulation started four years ago. It is run and co-coordinated by two French scientists, Bernard Roussel and Francois Verdeaux. Dr. Verdeaux told ABBI Weekly that the Geographical Indications entails the protection of name and intellectual property of the products and form an exceptional natural heritage.
According to an assessment made by the scientists, Ethiopia has decided to enhance its horticultural production through the acquisition of an effective corporate and promotional tool: Geographical Indications.
The five components carried out by Home Gardens involve the identification of home gardens grown products and methods of production, setting up a means to preserve biodiversity, Elaboration of a legal corporate system of Geographical Indications, campaign to promote home grown produce as well as project coordination and follow up.
"Ethiopia is rich in biodiversity and this positive side must be translated to make the country's products competitive internationally," Dr. Verdeaux said. "The specifications of products in the international market will enable to avoid the similar problems associated with Starbucks in terms of the coffee patent dispute."
According to Dr. Verdeaux, creating a promotional campaign supported by a house of Ethiopian Terroir produce that will be opened in Addis will serve as a show- case and informative documentation center for the selected Ethiopian specialities.
The project is Franco-Ethiopian cooperation financed by the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF), which has allotted a sum of 1.2 million Euros for the project. Moreover, Home Gardens as also awaiting a decision for the approval of another 1 million euros from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
According to a promotional pamphlet from the project, the House of the Ethiopian Terroirs will be managed by an Ethiopian Association for the promotion of local products, comprised of representatives from both the public and private sectors.
The Contracting authority is the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the project is supported both in Ethiopia and France, by extensive partnership and a network of international experts, by the Addis Ababa University, the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organisation, the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office in Ethiopia. In addition, Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) and the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères.