Geographical Indication (GI) options for Ethiopian Coffee and Ghanaian Cocoa

Chapter 11
The State of Biofuel Innovation in Mozambique
Fernando dos Santos and Simão Pelembe
Abstract
This chapter provides findings and analysis from a study of the potential relevance of intellectual
property (IP) dynamics (specifically patent dynamics) to small-scale, locally driven
biofuel production in Mozambique. Through a policy and legal analysis, a patent landscaping
exercise and stakeholder interviews, it was found that patenting is not at present the
central barrier to successful small-scale biofuel exploitation in the country, but that patenting
(and protection of utility models) is likely to become a more prominent issue in the coming
years as Mozambique moves from first to second generation biofuel technologies. The chapter
concludes that the government of Mozambique’s vision of a flourishing sector of smallscale
biofuel producers will require aggressive government support, in line with its National
Policy and Strategy on Biofuels (NPSB) of 2009, for a range of measures in support of locally
driven technology research, innovation and development. Among the issues the government
will need to tackle, according to this chapter, is the matter of how to ensure affordable access
to technology – whether patented or non-patented – for small farming and producing enterprises
to use and adapt (with use of “petty patent” utility models potentially being appropriate
in some cases).
1. Introduction
A number of local and foreign companies in Mozambique are producing, or
setting up production facilities for, biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) from agricultural
products such as coconuts, jatropha and sugar cane. 1 The government
of Mozambique is actively seeking to create the optimal policy framework for
1 For an in-depth account, from a non-IP- focused perspective, of Mozambique’s biofuel
strategies see Schut et al., (2010).