BERN, SWITZERLAND – Colombian coffee now has IGP/GGA (indication géographique protégée, PGI in English) protection in Switzerland, one of only nine products given this, and the first foreign one on the official Swiss list. The name cannot be used except by Colombian coffee producers who meet IGP legal requirements. Colombian growers registered the PGI in their own country in 2005.

The country began to produce coffee in the first half of the 18th century and today it is one of Colombia’s largest exports.

Switzerland also has 19 AOP registrations for a total of 28 protected names for agricultural products.