The Hindu Business Line : The unique power of coir

Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu can be proud of its unique silk offerings, particularly sarees, and Darjeeling in Assam can claim with pride that no one can imitate the tea grown on its plantations.

They share the reputation gained by other notable places around the world like Champagne and Cognac in France and Tuscany in Italy for being home to some of the global market’s unparalleled commodities.

Be it wine or olives, silk or tea, these products are “Geographical Indications” (GI) – location-specific brands exclusive to the place of origin. And now, Kerala can boast a second feather in its GI cap too, with the Commerce Ministry granting GI status to ‘Alleppey Coir’ under the Geographical Indications Act, 1999.

The certificate of registration was handed over to the Coir Board Chairman, Mr A.C. Jose, by the Commerce Secretary, Mr G.K. Pillai. Followed by Aranmulla, Alleppey is the second place in Kerala to have won this unique recognition.

Earlier, Aranmula village bagged GI registration for ‘Aranmula Kannadi’, the unique hand-made mirrors that reflect a rich cultural and metallurgical tradition.

Intellectual property

As global trade continues to leap across national borders, GI assume particular significance.

Mr Swarnim Waglé, former Programme Specialist at the Colombo Regional Centre of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explains that GI are distinctive intellectual property tools of particular interest from a development angle to the nearly 150 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that have signed the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of which GIs are part.

TRIPS defines GI as indications (words, phrases, symbols, images) which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member, or region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

This definition draws on two established concepts: Indication of Source (IS) and Appellation of Origin (AO) that trace their formal origins to the 1893 Paris Convention and the 1958 Lisbon Convention on Appellations of Origin and their Registration, respectively. IS refers generally to any expression or sign used to indicate that a product originates in a country, or a specific place (e.g., Made in Mongolia), while AO refers to the geographical name of a country or locality (e.g., Champagne), which serves to designate a product originating therein whose characteristics are exclusively or essentially due to that geographical environment. While all Appellations of Origin are clearly Indications of Source, the converse is not necessarily true, Mr Waglé clarifies.

Unsurprisingly, he points out, the most famous and lucrative GI today all have origins in developed countries, e.g., Cognac, Roquefort cheese, Tequila, Pilsen, Napa Valley wines, Scotch whisky, Sherry, Parmigiano Reggiano, Teruel and Parma hams, Tuscany olives, etc. Most items pertain to drinks, meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and sometimes clothing and crafts. An overwhelming share of protected GI in Europe is wines and spirits, whose trade value runs into billions of dollars.

In formidable company

“Alleppey Coir” is thus in formidable company. Its uniqueness is derived from the exclusive weaving techniques and processes, which draw on traditional skills and craftsmanship in the design for weaving for mattings, floor coverings and so on. The production method involves several stages like storing, dyeing, winding, wrapping and beaming, weaving, finishing and bundling. The GI registration will boost its brand and economic value in the market, while also helping to enhance its export. The GI registration will give a legal identity to Alleppey’s coir industry and preclude others from infringing and imitating on native art forms.

‘Alleppey Coir’ would help quality coir products attract higher prices in the international market and thereby enhance the fortunes of the coir sector, Mr Pillai said at the certification ceremony. It would also mean that strict quality standards and innovative designs would have to be part of the coir sector’s daily manuals.

Mr Jose, who announced the formation of the Federation of Indian Coir Exporters Associations, said the advantage of GI registration would be that products would be certified for their origin, imitations would be eliminated and the inspection mechanism during the registration process would ensure quality. GI registration would give the registered authority, the Coir Board in this case, and its authorised users legal rights to exclusive use of the GI.

Promoting tourism

An additional spin-off of the Alleppey Coir GI is the potential it offers for the tourism industry. Mr Pillai said talks were on to include the coir sector in the Government of India’s “Incredible India!” promotional campaigns. He added that the India Brand Equity Foundation would be roped in to ensure the effective branding of “Alleppey Coir”.

Alleppey Coir might well be the harbinger of more to come Kerala’s way on the GI road ahead.

The writer can be contacted at kgkumar@gmail.com

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