(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroon red cocoa, listed in 2019 as a product eligible for geographical indication (GI), has progressed towards labeling by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). “Some steps had to be taken before launching the application for registration. Being a structuring product with a very well-informed market, that of chocolatiers and confectioners, we decided to develop two sales pitches to promote the Cameroon red cocoa label", explained Michel Gonomy, Head of the Geographical Indications, Designs and Other Distinctive Signs Department at OAPI, during the international symposium on the development of geographical indications in Africa, held from April 17 to 19 in Douala.

Gonomy stated that scientific research has shown certain regions of Cameroon, notably the Central, South, Southwest, and East, possess unique factors resulting in a distinctively "red" cocoa, a characteristic absent in the Northern region. "Given this specificity and the cocoa's reputation, developing a market study was necessary, revealing Cameroon's red cocoa has strong revenue potential," he added. However, further scientific analysis was required to determine the cocoa's coloration threshold to meet European market standards. "Hence, the Cocoa and Coffee Interprofessional Council (CICC) requested additional laboratory analysis and the acquisition of equipment to precisely define this coloration threshold. Both are currently underway," explained the head of OAPI's geographical indications, designs, and models service.

If this analysis proves successful, it could pave the way for labeling Cameroon's red cocoa. While the exact date is unspecified, OAPI estimates a normal geographical indication procedure is complex and takes between 5 to 7 years on average. This suggests the process may extend beyond 2024, the end year of Phase 2 (2017-2024) of the Support Project for the Establishment of Geographical Indications in the 17 OAPI Member States (PAMPIG). The latter is funded with €3.5 million (over CFA2.2 billion) by the French Development Agency (AFD) with technical assistance from the International Cooperation Center in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD). However, Michel Gonomy, also responsible for PAMPIG, envisions a third phase of the project that could potentially lead to labeling Cameroon's red cocoa.

As per received information, the objective is to "protect this cocoa while providing it with institutional legal recognition and protection." Through this legal and economic duality, explain OAPI experts, the Geographical Indication will position Cameroon's red cocoa in a high-end market segment and increase its price. This valuation results from the establishment of a quality premium by the Cameroon government, aimed at meeting international market standards and quality requirements for exported cocoa.

According to OAPI, the last agreement signed in 2020 between the committed chocolatiers club and cocoa producers in Cameroon increased the price of cocoa per kilogram from CFA1,640 to CFA4,225 in 2024, setting a world record for bean price. This increase is partly due to an expected production decline in the world's two largest cocoa producers, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. However, OAPI emphasizes that this improvement also reflects "the quality of Cameroon's beans, which should continue to increase in value following its labeling."