Food origin labels in Ghana: Finding inspiration in the European geographical indications system on honey

• Author: Aske S. Bosselmann,Courage Besah‐Adanu,Lise Hansted,Peter K. Kwapong
• Date: 01 November 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jwip.12127
• Published date: 01 November 2019

J World Intellect Prop. 2019;22:349–363. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jwip © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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349

DOI: 10.1111/jwip.12127

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Food origin labels in Ghana: Finding inspiration

in the European geographical indications system

on honey

Courage Besah‐Adanu

1

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Aske S. Bosselmann

2

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Lise Hansted

3

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Peter K. Kwapong

1

1

Department of Conservation Biology and

Entomology, University of Cape Coast, Cape

Coast, Ghana

2

Department of Food & Resource Economics,

University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,

Denmark

3

Danish Beekeepers Association,

Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence

Dr Courage Besah‐Adanu, Department of

Conservation Biology and Entomology, School

of Biological Sciences, University of Cape

Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Email: kadanu2@gmail.com

Aske Skovmand Bosselmann, Asst Prof,

Department of Food and Resource

Economics, University of Copenhagen,

Rolighedsvej 25, DK‐1958 Frederiksberg C,

Copenhagen, Denmark.

Email: ab@ifro.ku.dk

Funding information

Danida, Grant/Award Number: 13‐02KU.

Abstract

Geographical indication (GI) identifies goods originating

from a particular territory, where certain qualities and

reputation of the product are essentially attributed to that

origin. GIs connote value addition hence a tool for livelihood

improvement among producers of local products. This is

especially the case for honey, which is mainly produced rural

areas in Ghana, where there are few other income sources.

However, GIs are unknown in the country. This paper

discusses various elements and storylines that commonly

characterize registered GI products, focusing on GI honeys

registered within the EU and the single GI honey registered

in Africa, the Oku white Honey in Cameroon. The study is

based on a literature review of GI honey records and the EU

DOOR database, general literature, and complemented with

fieldwork. A number of elements were identified to

characterize GI honeys and can be grouped into three

elements: indicative, essential, and supportive. The three

groups of elements are important for the identification,

development, and promotion of GIs in Ghana. Analyzing

potential GI honey case within the three groups of elements

shows Ghana has a GI legislation but has to develop the

capacity for relevant state institutions necessary for GI

building.

KEYWORDS

EU honeys, geographical indications, Ghana, key topics, origin labels