Download By Raymond Agaba, Uganda

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
AND BRANDING FOR
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
IN DEVELOPING AND LEAST
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
(LDCs)
A CASE-STORY FOR
UGANDA
TO BE PRESENTED BY
Mr. RAYMOND AGABA
COMMISSIONER, INTERNAL
TRADE DEPARTMENT
MINISTRY OF TRADE,
INDUSTRY & COOPERATIVES
KAMPALA, UGANDA
Branding in Uganda

The Government of Uganda has a number of strategies that
support branding of Ugandan products. These strategies are
embedded within various sectoral policies and plans.

Since 2009, the Private sector in Uganda has been running the
‘’Proudly Ugandan Campaign’’ program. This is intended to
encourage Ugandans to take pride in their country by giving
economic priority to Ugandan products , while sustaining a
favourable competition in the local, regional and international
markets. In so doing manufacturers , producers , and exporters
are encouraged to develop brands that can tap into specific
niche markets.

Examples of brands, Good African Coffee, Kayonza Tea,
Uganda Batteries, etc
IP for Branding
 The
MTIC with support from WIPO
developed a project that applies the use
of intellectual property tools for
economic empowerment of communities
engaged in commercial agricultural
products with unique qualities.
 The
pilot project is focused on three
products, i.e. vanilla, cotton, and sesame.
A case of Uganda’s vanilla

Uganda ‘s vanilla contains a notably high vanillin (2% 3.2%), which is one of the highest in the world. They have a
good aroma making them perfect for dessert and
chocolate.(A study done by Ron Layton, Distinctive values
in African exports).

The Vanilla farmers in Uganda cultivate on small farms, the
soils are rich and loamy that enable the vanilla to flourish.
However, each plant requires hand pollination, and picking
the beans when they are fully ripe is critical to obtaining
optimal flavour as vanillin develops in the last few weeks of
maturation.

Farmers then sell their green vanilla beans to firms that cure
and export them. The farmers gets around $8 per kilogram
while the export price is $25 per kilogram. As the case for
cotton and sesame, vanilla is continually sold as a
commodity that does not attract premium prices.
Mukono Vanilla Growers
Uganda vanilla Beans
Cont- A case of Ugandan Vanilla
 The
Uganda vanilla is a speciality product and
therefore the use of IP strategy to raise the
retail and export values of the product will
empower all the players in the production
chain.
 It
is against this background that support was
given to MUKONO Vanilla, Spices and
Horticulture Cooperatives who were provided
with a ‘’Certification Mark ‘’ to enable them
capture higher revenue in the retail and
export markets.
COTTON

Ugandan Cotton is the country’s second most
important export crop, because of its unique
qualities in colour and texture, it is highly
demanded on the international market.

As the case for Vanilla and sesame, Ugandan
cotton producers do not benefit from the full
commercial value of this quality good, which
continues to be sold as a commodity rather
than a premium product.
Pure, bright cotton
SESAME
 Sesame
is widely grown in Ugandan and
is locally used to produce simsim, a
delicacy in northern Uganda. It is also
known that sesame has the highest oil
content in the world and therefore has
the potential to be branded as pure, cold
pressed oil.
 A farmer will sell sesame at $ 1 or less per
kilogram.
ACHIEVEMENTS/ ACTION AREAS
 Through
support of WIPO the three products
have managed to be branded, where
certification marks where provided for cotton
and vanilla, and a trade mark for sesame.
 The
IP business strategies link the unique
qualities of these products to their
geographical locations with a view of
attracting higher premiums.
CHALLENGES
 Lack
of awareness on IP rights, branding
strategies – public and private players.
 Marketing
costs
 Standards
especially for processed
products
WAY-FORWARD

Create awareness on IP branding strategies

Capacity Building programmes

Focus on export marketing strategies

Licensing of IP tools

Policy and regulatory framework

Monitoring and evaluation of the project interventions