Beninese Sugarloaf pineapple now with PGI quality mark

Obtaining a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) has cultural benefits: it can draw the attention of foreign gourmets to African exports and cuisines. But perhaps the greatest benefits of Protected Geographical Indications are financial. Since 2018, the African Union (a group comprising 55 countries of the continent) has been pursuing a "continental strategy" to increase the number of African Geographical Indications. In November 2021, Benin received its first, for the Sugarloaf pineapples grown on its southern plateaus. However, not everyone is eager for African Geographical Indications. Some fear that without ...