GI Certification for five varieties of Indian coffee

Geographical Indication Tag/Certification also known as GI Certification has been given to the five varieties of Indian Coffee recently.

Geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin.

The varieties of Coffee getting the GI Tag are:

Araku Valley Arabica coffee – These coffee from the hilly tracks of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha region at an elevation of 900-1100 Mt MSL.

Grown by Tribals, it is feeded with organic manures, green manuring and organic pest management practices.

Bababudangiris Arabica coffee – It is grown specifically in the birthplace of coffee in India in the regions of Baba Budangiri which is a mountain in the Baba Budan range of the Western Ghats of India & the region of Chikmagaluru district.

This coffee is also called high grown coffee which slowly ripens in the mild climate and have a special taste and aroma.

Coorg Arabica coffee – It is grown specifically in the region of Kodagu district in Karnataka.

Chikmagalur Arabica coffee – It is grown specifically in the region of Chikmagalur district and it is situated in the Deccan plateau of Karnataka.

Wayanaad Robusta coffee – It is grown specifically in the region of Wayanad district which is situated on the eastern portion of Kerala.

Also it should be noted that The Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee, a unique specialty coffee from India, was given GI certification earlier.

 

 Who gives GI Certification

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India awards Geographical Indication (GI) or GI Certification.

Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India, in 2004-05. There are a total of 325 products from India that carry this indication.

About Coffee Cultivation in India

In India, Coffee is mainly cultivated in three states of:

• Karnataka – 54%
• Kerala – 19%
• Tamil Nadu – 8%

Coffee is also grown in non-traditional areas like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha (17.2%) and North East States (1.8%).

India is the only country in the world where the entire coffee cultivation is grown under shade, hand-picked and sun dried.

In India the best varieties of coffee in the world is grown by tribal farmers in the regions of Western and Eastern Ghats, which are the two major bio-diversity hotspots in the world.

Sold as premium coffee in Europe, Indian coffee is highly valued in the world market.

How GI Tagging benefits the rural economy?

GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen.

GI Certification will allow the coffee producers of India:

• To invest in maintaining the specific qualities of the coffee grown in the particular region
• Enhance the visibility of Indian coffee in the world and
• Allow growers to get maximum price for their premium coffee.