Sri Lanka to apply for GI for Ceylon Tea from EU this September

• Same to be replicated in other key markets of Ceylon Tea later
• EU remains comparatively a small market for Ceylon Tea
• With GI status, Ceylon Tea expected to gain enhanced added value in international markets

By Nishel Fernando 

Sri Lanka plans to formally apply for Geographical Indication (GI) for Ceylon Tea from the European Union (EU) this September, with intentions to replicate the same move in other key markets of Ceylon Tea subsequently.
“We will submit an application for GI to the EU, seeking GI for Ceylon Tea this September. There will be grace period given to Ceylon Tea imports to adjust, once we secure a GI for Ceylon Tea in the EU,” Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Niraj De Mel told Mirror Business. 
GI certification serves to uphold and authenticate the quality, reputation and characteristics of a product by linking it to a specific territory through intellectual property protection, while also giving it added value in national and international markets. 
The Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, SLTB and Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, with the technical cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, initially commenced an initial research and development activities to GIs for Ceylon Tea and regional teas, using stable isotope signatures along with the preparation of a database of black tea. 
The key objective of this pilot project was to demonstrate that the chemical fingerprinting technique can differentiate Ceylon Tea from other origin teas, using the stable isotope and trace element analysis and to develop chemical fingerprints for tea growing regions within Sri Lanka. 
In late 2021, the French Agency for Development extended a grant of one million euros to the SLTB for the development of a GI for Ceylon Tea, with the support of the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development.
After achieving the GI status, the Ceylon Tea value chain is expected to become more productive, inclusive and sustainable. 
Consequently, Ceylon Tea is expected to have enhanced added value in international markets through intellectual property protections and national and international certifications.
Although the EU remains comparatively a small market for Ceylon Tea, De Mel noted that it’s a good starting point to protect the Ceylon Tea brand.

“It will be a good starting point. Afterwards, we would be able to replicate this in heavy tea-drinking nations in the Middle East as well as in Russia and so on,” he added.