OAPI grants geographical indication to madd of Casamance

In yet more Geographical Indication (GI) news, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) granted a GI to the Senegalese government for the madd of Casamance. A certificate to this effect was handed over on the 26th of June. Madd, also known as weda or laare, is a species of fruit-bearing plant which produces a hard-shelled fruit with tangy flesh-covered seeds inside. Although perhaps a lesser-known gastronomic delight for readers of this newsletter, production of madd fruits in Senegal alone reportedly tops 50,000 tonnes. Somewhat inevitably, such an industry has resulted in the existence of a promotional organisation with a suitably impressive acronym (the Association for the Protection and Promotion of the Madd Geographical Indication of Casamance (APPIGMAC)), which currently boasts over 900 members. With the aid of the newly-acquired GI, and the assistance of APPIGMAC, we hope to see madd fruits, jams, syrups, preserves and, eventually, highly caffeinated energy drinks containing extracts of the madd of Casamance in our stores in the near future.