Following the announcement that the Jamaican government would be moving to establish a geographical indication for Jamaican rum, the country’s Intellectual Property Office announced it is moving to achieve similar protection for Blue Mountain Coffee and Jamaican Jerk.

JIPO Executive Director Carol Simpson said the move would pave the way for registration of these products in other parts of the world — for example, in the European Union.

It’s part of a strategy, she said, to protect the products against international “copycats.”

“It doesn’t mean that we have limited ourselves,” she said. “The idea is that we hope to extend the work that we have done that we have done with other products as well, such as our pimento, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, Jamaica peppermint, thyme and scallion.”

According to Simpson, the country is currently negotiating a bilateral agreement with the Swiss government in an effort to get the products recognized in that country.

“What this means is that we have agreed with Switzerland that we will protect their GIs products in Jamaica, as they will protect our products in their markets.”

A geographical indicator is a sign used on goods connoting a specific origin and quality — like Basmati Rice from India or Champagne from France.

“GIs will allow genuine authentic Jamaican products to be more easily identified locally and internationally,” she said.

Capitalising on Jamaica’s exotic products is one of the ways economist Dr Michael Witter suggested the country could drive its economy in an interview with Caribbean Journal earlier this month.