The sweetest banana in a pickle: GIs in Brazil

The Association of Banana Growers of Corupá (Asbanco) in Brazil, has recently made an application for a Geographical Indication at the national IPO (INPI). The GI is for bananas grown in the region of Corupá which claims to be the ‘sweetest in the country’.

Brazil going bananas!

Asbanco is a non-profit organization that “aims to allow banana farmers to act in an organized way in the pursuit of sustainable development of the activity, always striving to maintain the balance between production and the environment, providing the satisfaction of people living in the rural environment.” According to INPI Asbanco, the association is formed by 1,000 families who are small farmers. It is located at the foot of the Serra do Mar, at altitudes of up to 500 meters. It is claimed that plantation and harvesting is a 110-year tradition. According to the producers, the Corupá banana is considered the sweetest in the country and so one can observe the logo they use ‘BANANA DE CORUPÁ - DOCE POR NATUREZA!’ (Corupa’s banana – sweet by nature). Asbanco asserts that the banana industry in the region is ‘a generator of jobs and taxes.’

A pickle!
It is expected that the GI certificate will be delivered this year during the Banana Day celebration (#bananaday #18April). However…here comes the pickle! The association needs to make a decision: to add or not to add? shall the GI be extended to all products which derive from bananas from the Corupá Region?

Decisions were made and they have finally included these products. Yet, they understand that they are working against the clock and  they need to describe the products and to elaborate on their form of production asap.

Awaiting its analysis, Asbanco is confident on the application, pending the proposed corrections. They are also participating in a Geographical Indication Workshop run by INPI in August this year.

Source and further information INPI, Corupa and Asbanco facebook page.