GI turns gold in Brazil

The secretary of culture of the state of Tocantins, Brazil, has met with the president of Instituto Nacional da Propriedad Nacional (INPI) to highlight the importance of geographical indication (GI) for the state. INPI’s president, Jorge Avila, indeed agreed and highlighted the enormous potential of the region.

Since 1988 the state has built its identity and GI is a powerful tool. To this effect, the application of Geographical Indication for the golden grass Jalapão (about 300 km from Palmas, capital of the state), traditional in the region, has been the first step. The golden grass, used for making jewelry and home furnishings, is a very unique product. According to the secretary, even the brightness of the material depends on the period in which the harvest takes place.

The state of Tocantins is also known for other products: Nativity, located in the southeast, is known as the city of gold, with a prominent production of gold. The crystal Cristalândia, located about 150 km from Palmas, and the seeds of beans, grown in paddy fields of the Lagoa da Confusão, a little over 200 km from the capital. I guess, we will see more GI applications from this Region in Brazil.