There are various instruments that provide a guarantee of origin to Colombian Coffee. In countries where the Denomination of Origin Colombian Coffee is recognized apply certain rules and norms that are in essence similar to those that apply to other instruments of guarantee of origin. In the case of many European countries, the legal instrument that grants that recognition is the Protected Geographical Indication. Other countries, mainly in North America recognize the Colombian Coffee as a Certification Mark, whilst through the Ingredient Brand programs complementary efforts of guarantee of origin have been designed in all continents.

A Denomination of Origin (DO) is a distinctive sign consistent of a specific geographic name used to identify a product that come from a certain origin, and whose quality is directly connected with such origin. To achieve the recognition of protection of a DO it is not enough to just present a request to the authorities of the country where that protection is claimed. It is also necessary to demonstrate through data, information and documents the connection between the origin and the quality of the product. Therefore, not any product of a specific origin is recognized as a DO.

The Denominations of Origin are thus a way of legal defense that allows guaranteeing to customers that a product that is described as if it were a DO complies with the processes and the requirements of quality associated with that denomination, starting, of course, with the fact that it effectively comes from the region of origin where the product is described as coming from. Thus, the consumer can trust in what he or she is buying, and the producer is fairly compensated for his or her efforts in producing a product of superior quality that fulfills the standards of the denomination. Any imitation or evocation of the DO without being authorized, or not meeting the legal requisites for its use, constitutes an infringement to the legal norms of the country where a Denomination is protected.

In the case of the Denomination of Origin Colombian Coffee orCafé de Colombia, it has been shown that the quality of the product corresponds not only to the specific conditions of climate, localization and environmental offer of the land of coffee, but to the support and quality control in each one of the production processes associated with Colombian Coffee. These natural and human factors essentially affect the quality of the product, and are evaluated by the authorities of the different countries where the DO is presented, and consequently recognized before granting a special protection to the product.

On the 5th of March, 2005, the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio issued the Resolution Nr. 4819 through which it declares the protection of the DO Café de Colombia at the request from the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. In the case of the Republic of Colombia these natural and human factors that forge a superior quality are now recognized by Colombian consumers and their respective authorities. Under this legal framework the authorizations of use of the DO Colombian Coffee are issued to authorized DO brands and authorized DO users.

If you wish to access  more background information on those instruments, please consult our section Geographic Indications/Denomination of Origin.