OCOP promotes the value of geographical indications and collective trademarks

Geographical indications and collective trademarks are considered as “passports” affirming the origin, quality and reputation of agricultural products. In Thai Nguyen, the protection and promotion of geographical indications are opening up opportunities to improve agricultural products, contributing to the sustainable development of the rural economy.

Community branding – increasing the value of local agricultural products

Tan Cuong tea is one of the brands that has been protected by geographical indication since 2007. Thanks to that, tea products here have gradually affirmed their position on the world tea map, creating superior competitiveness compared to many other tea regions. In fact, many households in Tan Cuong have an income of hundreds of millions of dong each year from tea trees. "Tea trees not only bring economic value but also are the pride of the people here", Mr. Nguyen Thang, a resident of Tan Cuong tea region, shared.

Along with that, the dong vermicelli in Con Minh commune ( Bac Kan ) has also had a clear transformation since being granted the geographical indication certificate "Bac Kan dong vermicelli" in 2021. Thanks to this "passport", the product has reached supermarket systems and specialty stores in many provinces and cities across the country. More importantly, the geographical indication has created motivation for cooperatives and production households to invest in upgrading machinery, standardizing processes, and building concentrated dong material areas.

Tangerine is a specialty fruit in many northern communes of the province, and has been granted a certificate of geographical indication "Bac Kan tangerine" since 2012. Meanwhile, "Bac Kan seedless persimmon" was granted a certificate of geographical indication protection by the Intellectual Property Office in 2010, and was once in the top 100 famous Vietnamese brands. These are all regional products, oriented to develop into key local commodities.

Up to now, Thai Nguyen has 36 intellectual property protection certificates for the province's specialties and strengths, including: 5 geographical indications, 5 certification marks, 26 collective marks. In particular, the collective mark "Thai Nguyen Tea" has been protected in 6 countries and territories (the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan); the geographical indication "Xinjiang" has been protected in the European Union. These steps affirm the locality's efforts in bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to deeply integrate into the international market.

Leverage for sustainable development

Geographical indications and collective trademarks are community brands that affirm the origin and value of local agricultural products. The "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program focuses on developing regionally specific products with high cultural and economic value. When these two factors are combined, they create a synergistic force that helps Vietnamese agricultural products improve their competitiveness, increase their value and develop sustainably.

To date, the whole Thai Nguyen province has 575 OCOP products, of which fresh tea and processed tea products account for nearly 200 products. The province's OCOP program aims to improve quality, increase economic value and form a sustainable production chain associated with local advantages.

Protecting and promoting specialty brands not only enhances the value of agricultural products in the market, but also demonstrates the effectiveness of applying science and technology in rural economic development. Intellectual property has become an important tool to help improve the competitiveness of agricultural products and local goods, while creating a driving force for innovation in production and business.

OCOP aims to develop the rural economy based on the advantages of each locality, through cooperative models, cooperative groups and enterprises. When combined with geographical indications and collective trademarks, this program further promotes its role in organizing production, expanding markets and improving competitiveness. This is a sustainable direction to build community brands, affirm the value of specific agricultural products and contribute to the development of the rural economy on the basis of natural advantages, indigenous culture and science - technology.

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/ocop-phat-huy-gia-tri-chi-dan-dia-ly-nhan-hieu-tap-the-1972510112150461.htm