labeling of attiéké, fermented cassava semolina, as a “collective brand”

2 mins

With our correspondent in Abidjan, Marine Jeannin

It is cassava semolina eaten wet, with a slightly sour taste, served as an accompaniment to fried fish or dishes with sauce. For Paul Assandé, director general of the Ivorian Office for Intellectual Protection (OIPI), attiéké occupies a central place in the national cultural heritage. It was therefore necessary for the State of Côte d’Ivoire to protect its appellation.

“ It is a determining element of the identity of Côte d’Ivoire. We cannot separate the attiéké from Côte d’Ivoire. So it was important to find a way to prevent other countries, outside of Côte d’Ivoire, from being able to use this name to market their cassava semolina. So today by registering attiéké as a collective trademark, Côte d’Ivoire can prevent, has the legal means to prevent the use of this name by other countries “, he explains.

Reinforced product image

This measure should both strengthen the image of the product on the market and its commercial value, hope attiéké producers like Aramatou Coulibaly, general director of the company Ramacereal.

“ I think that the attiéké label will offer official recognition of the quality and origin of the product. This will protect Ivorian producers against counterfeiting and imitation in order to strengthen the very reputation of attiéké on international markets and to offer consumers the guarantee of buying real attiéké. “, she emphasizes.

For the moment, the measure is only valid in West Africa, but the OIPI has already taken steps to extend the collective brand in Europe and the United States… and aims, ultimately, to protect its attiéké all over the world.

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