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

Innovation & Intellectual Property
MIST also created the Rural Industrial Promotion Company Botswana (RIPCO
(B)) and the BIH as parastatal organisations. Headquartered in Gaborone, RIPCO
(est. 1974) is a research and development organisation that follows Botswana’s
broader objectives of improving the living standards of its citizens by developing
and disseminating agriculture-related technology. The BIH (est. 2012), announced
in a keynote address by the Vice President of Botswana in November 2012, was
established to accelerate the country’s Vision 2016 goals. Its aim is to promote
“research, technology and innovation based entrepreneurship” through the interaction
between academics, entrepreneurs and government (the so-called “triple
helix” of research and development) (Government of Botswana, 2012). The BIH
is a product of the Revised National Policy on Research, Science, Technology and
Innovation (MIST, 2011). It was also developed in response to the World Economic
Forum’s (WEF’s) Global Competitiveness Report (2011–2012), which highlighted
Botswana’s need to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). General statistical data
also highlight Botswana’s need for improvement in this area (WEF, 2012).
According to the Science and Technology Capacity Index (STCI), Botswana
is a scientifically developing country. The STCI measures the ability to absorb
and retain specialised knowledge and research, to meet needs and to develop
efficient products and processes. Botswana also falls within the category of countries
that are below the international mean for most components of science and
technology indices. The gross expenditure on research and development (GERD)
in Botswana is low, at 0.52% of GDP (World Bank, 2012), when compared to the
recommended Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African
Union (AU) investment targets of at least 1% of GDP. However, Botswana has a
high proportion of PhD and MSc employees (at least 48% of research and development
staff – higher than South Africa’s 34%) (CSIR, 2005). The government
of Botswana aims to invest at least 2% of GDP to develop scientific and technological
research, consistent with SADC targets (MIST, 2011). Botswana’s Vision
2016 objective for its science and technology environment aims to foster: (a) an
educated, informed nation; (b) a prosperous, productive and innovative nation;
and (c) a compassionate, just and caring nation. MIST’s parastatal organisations
and Botswana’s leading research organisations have modelled their IP objectives
around Botswana’s Vision 2016 (Government of Botswana, 1997).
IP expertise and activity in Botswana
The total number of patents registered in Botswana is unknown, as there are
inconsistencies in Botswana’s patent registration system, and the list of registered
patents is not available in electronic format. The Registrar of Companies estimates
that between 15 and 30 patents are registered annually, and the majority of the
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