Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, and EU Ambassador for Indonesia, Vincent Piket, celebrated the International Gayo Arabica Coffee Celebration Week on 21 September 2020, in the Rumah Kopi Nusantara café at the Ministry of Trade office. Gayo Arabica Coffee is currently the only Indonesia’s Geographical Indications (GI) product that is protected in EU since 2017.
In his remarks, the Minister of Trade emphasized the importance of promoting GI products and increasing people awareness about Indonesia’s GI products as they play important role to increase Indonesia’s exports.
Through ARISE + Indonesia program, the Government of Indonesia and the EU will continue to work together to improve the competitiveness of Indonesian exports and Indonesia's integration into the global value chain. Indonesia and the EU are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (also known as the Indonesia EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement – I-EU CEPA) where the mutual recognition and market access of Indonesian and European GI products is at stake amongst other areas of cooperation.
I hope our trade representatives in Europe will give serious attention to Indonesia’s GI products, including Gayo Arabica Coffee, so that this product and others, can penetrate the global markets,” - Minister of Trade
The EU Ambassador reminded that protection of GI products is important economically and culturally, as it helps to create value for local communities through products that are deeply rooted in tradition, culture and geography. In addition, GIs support rural development, contribute to job creation, encourage biodiversity preservation, sustain rural areas and contribute to the socio-economic development of any country. The EU continuously engages in supporting GI producers and associations, as well as government officials, to protect and promote Indonesian GI products.
The event was the peak of a series of activities that promote Indonesia’s GI products. On 17 September, the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP – the Ministry of Law and Human Rights) and the Directorate General for National Export Development (DGNED - the Ministry of Trade), in collaboration with ARISE+ Indonesia held a webinar on market opportunities for GI products, especially the Gayo Arabica Coffee.
The Regent of Central Aceh (Aceh Tengah), Indonesia trade representatives in Europe, the Gayo Coffee Protection Society Foundation (MPKG), coffee farmers and exporters, and other key stakeholders attended the online event. As the highlight of the event, the Minister, the Ambassador and a number of guests at the venue, drank Gayo Arabica Coffee together.
*Geographical Indications (GI) is a name or a sign associated to a product where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially linked to its geographical origin.
