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Since May 28, South African rooibos tea has been protected by a controlled designation of origin. A demanding European certification that protects the knowledge and terroir of this product. Only rooibos leaves grown and processed in the Western Cape and part of the Northern Cape will now be sold under this designation in the EU and several other countries. This is the first time an African product has been registered as a PDO. With this new logo, the industry hopes to improve its visibility in the European market. Demand for samples has already increased to test the product.
A massage and a cup of rooibos. This is the advanced experience offered at this tea wholesaler in Cape Town. Rooibos as a source of well-being and relaxation. This is the image conveyed by this tea, which is gaining popularity in Europe, confirms Jody, responsible for the store. “We have just made a big order ready for Germany. It is the country that orders rooibos from us regularly. The Netherlands is also a major consumer. ”
In third place, the UK completes the top three European rooibos consumers. With the new SUB logo on the packaging, Nicie Vorster, head of the South African Council for Rooibos, hopes to gain additional market share. “It’s a big win for rooibos, we’ve been working on it for over ten years. We believe we can increase our export volume and improve the status of this product. ” he said.
191 geographical indications on the African continent
The sector has received the invaluable support of the Western Cape Province. With 300 commercial farms and 5,000 jobs, the regional government wants to protect the rooibos industry. Dirk Troskie from the Department of Agriculture learned the lesson in 1996 when the United States applied for lenomrooibos. “After this episode, we wondered how we can help the industry so that this kind of thing does not happen again. And that was when the Western Cape Province became interested in the concept of geographical indication. ”
Geographical indications are of interest to African producers. 191 GIs are registered on the continent. They are a tool for marketing and local development, explains Sybille Slattery with responsibility for GI at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “In general, when there is a sector with a geographical name, the added value perceived by the actors in the sector increases. And if things are done correctly, this increase in added value is also distributed to producers. ”
Unlike the European PDO, the specifications for geographical indications are much less demanding. Now see if there is a quick description on the supermarket shelf.
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