Café de Colombia: protecting and
promoting a well-known origin
Luis Fernando Samper
National Federation of Coffee Growers of
Colombia
June 2007-Beijing, China
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
National Federation of
Coffee Growers of Colombia
(FNC)
•Founded in 1927, by the coffee growers
of Colombia, the Federation is the nonprofit, democratic and active advocate of
560,000 small cafeteros.
• With the funds of the National Coffee
Fund, the FNC is dedicated to improve
the life in the coffee-growing
communities and to protect and promote
the Colombian Coffee Industry.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Some of FNC’s Objectives…
1. Ensure the well-being of Colombia’s coffee growers by
working towards the sustainability of Colombian coffee.
2. Foster a system in which Colombian Coffee growers
receive the best possible price for their coffee.
3. Protect and Promote Colombian Coffee and guarantee its
positioning in the global coffee market.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
It is part of the FNC’s strategic objective to
maintain and strengthen the differentiation of
Colombian Coffee
• Colombia´s coffee quality is given
by its mountains,
•varieties used, and
•harvesting and post harvesting
processes.
•Many of these processes are
manual, so we can not compete with
cost. Only with differentiation.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Today Colombia is one of the most wellknown origins for coffee. It wasn’t always
this way…
• During the late 50’s the price of Colombian coffee went from
$0.85/lb to $0.45/lb due to an excessive supply of coffee in the world
market.
• Only 4% of consumers recognized Colombia as a coffee origin.
• Roasters dominated the market and they tended to hide
origin in order to gain more flexibility in blends.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Origin?
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
The Road towards origin differentiation…
For the first time a coffee producing country takes an active stance
towards marketing its product and gives a “face” to a commodity.
With a push-pull strategy the FNC achieved to create a
segment for 100% Colombian coffee within the coffee
category. Consumers demand it, and roasters offer it
within their product portfolio.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Colombia as an origin, became wellknown among consumers
Awareness of Colombia as a coffee-growing country
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Aided awareness
KRC Research 2004/2005
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Based on our Reputation we developed
a trademark-based “Ingredient brand”
strategy
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Those roasters not willing to use the
ingredient brand decided to
concentrate on the origin
“Colombian” instead
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
We then developed Certification
Marks. However in some cases the
product was not even Colombian
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June 2007
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© Copyright FNC 2007
We learned that…
• Trademarks in an ingredient brand context are meant to
be endorsers of someone else´s brand. Most of its users
are willing to protect the origin.
• Enforcement of certification marks is difficult an
expensive.
• Both TM’s and CM’s do not protect against the use of
“Colombian blend” or “Colombian type”
We needed an alternative that would help us
defend and protect the Colombian origin
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
G.I. Café de Colombia
• In December 2004, the FNC presented the
Colombian government with an application for
the recognition of “Café de Colombia” as a
Geographical Indication.
• In February 2005, the Colombian government
ratified Café de Colombia as a “D.O.-G.I.”
• In June 2005, “Café de Colombia” became the
first product from a non-EU nation to apply for
the Protected Gegraphical Indication recognition
to the EU.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Why are geographical indications an
interesting alternative to pursue?
• Roasters and marketers continue in their efforts to make coffee
origin irrelevant to the eyes of the consumer
• Origin continues to be an important differentiation tool.
• New generations have greater access and interest for more
information about the products they consume.
• Globalization has generated a niche of more conscious and
demanding consumers.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Geographical Indications: a step
forward
•
For consumers and regulators of food products, Geographical
Indications are a source of information and credibility. Equally,
they are becoming a source of growth and development for
producers around the world.
•
Emerging consumer trends have created an ideal environment for
GI’s to flourish. Consumers’ demand for more and better
information about the products they consume represents an
opportunity for systems that guarantee origin and methods of
production.
•
Different from Trademarks and certification Marks, GI’s are
intrinsically linked with attributes and quality standards related to
origin.
•
In an industry where marketers prefer downplaying origin in order
to gain flexibility, GI’s appear as an interesting alternative to add
value to the product’s origin.
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007
Thank you.
Luis Fernando Samper
National Federation of Coffee Growers of
Colombia
Luisfernando.samper@cafedecolombia.com
June 2007
© Copyright FNC 2007