Existing value addition initiatives enhancing recognition of territorial traits of three Kenyan honey

• Author: Geoffrey Kironchi,Mary Gikungu,John Mburu,Mary W. Warui
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jwip.12153
• Date: 01 July 2020
• Published date: 01 July 2020

J World Intellect Prop. 2020;23:598–605.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jwip598

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© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

DOI: 10.1111/jwip.12153

NOTE

Existing value addition initiatives enhancing

recognition of territorial traits of three Kenyan

honey

Mary W. Warui

1

|John Mburu

2

|Geoffrey Kironchi

1

|

Mary Gikungu

3

1

Department of Land Resource Management

and Agricultural Technology, University of

Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

2

Department of Agricultural Economics,

University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

3

National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

Correspondence

Mary W. Warui, Department of Land Resource

Management and Agricultural Technology,

University of Nairobi, Box 29053‐00620,

Nairobi, Kenya.

Email: marywarui@yahoo.com

Funding information

Danish Consultative Research Committee for

Development Research (FFU),

Grant/Award Number: Grant 13‐02KU

Abstract

Recognition of honeys with specific characteristics attrib-

uted to their territory (geographical origin) can enhance

increased incomes to households in rural areas of Kenya, if

protected and sold under Geographical Indications labels.

This is mainly because product recognition can result in its

demand, reputation, access to market and its protection

from imitation and disappearance from the market. In-

itiatives undertaken by actors in the honey subsector and

other sectors to promote recognition of Kenyan honeys and

their territorial and local traits have not been documented.

This study evaluated the existing value addition initiatives

enhancing recognition of territorial or local traits of the

three Kenyan honey, that is, honey from Kitui, West Pokot,

and Baringo. Data collection methods used included lit-

erature review as well as interviews with relevant stake-

holders in the honey subsector and other relevant sectors.

Results showed that development of honey value chains,

product certification, product promotional and marketing

activities, and awareness onthelinkbetweenproduct

quality and geographical origin have greatly contributed to

recognition of West Pokot, Baringo, and Kitui honey as well

as their territorial traits.

KEYWORDS

Baringo and Kitui Counties, geographical indications, honey,

territorial traits, value addition initiatives, West Pokot