ROOIBOS AS A POTENTIAL GI

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• ROOIBOS AS A POTENTIAL GI

Willie Nel Producer of Rooibos Director of
SARC Clanwilliam, South Africa
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Aspelatus Linearus - Rooibos
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NATURAL OCCURANCE OF ROOIBOS
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ROOIBOS THE PRODUCTION AREA

• Winter Rainfall area
• In the Fynbos biome
• Exclude conservation areas

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TYPE OF PRODUCT

• Natural herbal tea
• No substitutes
• But part of the herbal tea group
• In SA also Honeybush, Bugu and Bergtea

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ROOIBOS PRODUCTION ON MY FARM
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ROOIBOS HARVESTING
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ROOIBOS CUTTING, FERMENTATION DRYING
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ROOIBOS STERILISATION PACKAGING
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STRUCTURE OF THE ROOIBOS INDUSTRY

• The people
• 400 Farmers
• Commercial (98)
• Resource poor co-operatives (2)
• Main income source
• Heiveld, Wupperthal, 40 odd independents
• Production
• 12 300 t
• Average 30 t per producer
• 8 Large processors
• Rooibos Ltd (75)
• South African Rooibos Council (SARC)
• Traditionally used by local people

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ROOIBOS MARKETS

• Domestic 5 400 t
• Mainly supermarkets
• Domestic reputation as unique product
• Health properties well known
• Export 6 900 t
• 46 Countries
• Europe Dominated by Germany
• Mainly bulk exports
• Rooibos known as indigenous SA product
• Not only hot tea, also
• Iced tea
• Flavourant
• Cosmetics
• Price premium
• Organic 20
• Fairtrade 40 (very small market)
• Demand grow at about 12 per year

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RELEVANCE OF GI ROOIBOS

• Fraud usurpation
• Clear link between product area
• Rooibos is Generic.
• Quality
• Need a quality definition.
• Colour taste parameters required.
• Add producer value
• Main exports in bulk
• GI help power to revert back to producer
• Marketing tool
• One Cultivar being produced.
• Common to link area to product
• Biodiversity conservation
• Produced in sensitive areas.
• Cape Nature Biodiversity initiative.
• Adverse selection?
• Traditional knowledge
• Long history of Rooibos production.
• Link between Rooibos certain communities

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ROOIBOS OTHER

• Other Intellectual Property
• Various private trademarks
• Industry currently exploring either collective
  trademark or certification mark.
• SARC to take ownership of GI
• Current challenges
• Scientifically sound quality measures that can be
  challenged in court.
• Establishing and cost of an independent
  certification/policing body
• Combine GI with Biodiversity initiative

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• the end

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SA GI THE CONVENTIONAL VIEW