The first recognition of Geographical Indication (GI) by Denomination of Origin in the state of Bahia was announced this week. The seal was granted by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) to coffee produced in the Chapada Diamantina region, which is made up of 24 municipalities. According to the institution, human and environmental factors in the location give the drink a unique flavor and properties - full-bodied, sweet, with citric acidity, notes of nuts and chocolate, and a long finish. From now on, local producers join 15 other GIs of the product in the country.
Currently, Bahia has five Geographical Indications, all of them of Origin (IP): Southern Bahia (Cocoa Almonds), Western Bahia Region (Coffee), Abaíra Microregion (Cachaça), Submédio São Francisco Valley (Grapes and Mangoes) and São Francisco Valley (Wines and Sparkling Wines). With the registration of coffee from Chapada Diamantina, there are now 130 IGs recognized in Brazil, 91 of which are Indication of Origin and 39 by Denomination of Origin (29 national and 10 foreign).
“Just as GIs have already been strengthening the reputation and opening up new markets, this Designation of Origin will be a milestone for the Chapada Diamantina region. Producers will be protagonists of a new stage of local development, based on the beverage’s unique features,” highlights Hulda Giesbrecht, coordinator of Future-Providing Technologies at Sebrae. “They will drink from the same source that we have already followed with 14 other regions that are already consolidated, including some that are accessing the international market,” she added.
The Geographical Indications cited by Hulda came together through the Institute of Brazilian Coffee Producing Regions with Geographical Indication (GIs). The initiative is the result of the meeting of these associations in the Digitalization of Coffee GIs project, a platform that is being developed with the support of Sebrae, the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI) and the CNA Institute.
The study "Coffee from Chapada Diamantina, Bahia: quality of the beverage and relations with the environment", by the State University of Southwest Bahia (UESB) was the basis for the recognition of the Geographical Indication. The text points out that post-harvest management and local know-how are the human variables related to the quality of the coffee. This is because almost all harvesting is done manually. In addition, the altitude, temperature and orientation of the slope where the coffee plantation grows are environmental variables that give the product a distinctive flavor.
In turn, in a study conducted by the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), chemical analysis demonstrated higher levels of organic and chlorogenic acids and, mainly, lipids, in coffees from Chapada Diamantina, demonstrating a characteristic chemical profile, which distinguishes them from samples from other regions of Bahia and Brazil.
Tadeane Pires Matos is an agronomist who works on the farm that bears her family’s name, in Mucugê (BA). She also serves as president of the Chapada Diamantina Coffee Growers Alliance. The producer emphasizes the potential that certification can bring to the region. “This seal guarantees great recognition for our coffee produced here, in this little piece of paradise that is Chapada Diamantina. In addition to being a place of exuberance in nature, Chapada is also exuberant in agricultural production and we, small farmers, can say that we produce some of the best coffee in the world,” she highlighted.
She says that Sebrae has been working with the association for six years until the Geographical Indication was implemented. “It was an incentive and development effort together with the city governments of the coffee-producing municipalities. I believe that now is the beginning of a time of many positive things, of much progress, of great appreciation for our product,” she commented.
The tool will soon gather information about the flavors and unique characteristics of specialty coffees with controlled origin: origin, aroma, culture, terroir, quality, region of production, whether the producer has social and environmental concerns, in addition to enabling product traceability. Agtrace was selected to develop the coffee GI traceability platform system.
Geographical Indications (GIs) are collective tools for promoting traditional products linked to specific territories. They have two main functions: adding value to the product and protecting the producing region.
The Geographical Indications system promotes products and their historical and cultural heritage, which is non-transferable. This heritage encompasses several relevant aspects: defined production area, typicality, authenticity with which the products are developed and discipline regarding the production method, ensuring a quality standard. All of this confers exclusive notoriety to producers from the delimited area.
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