GI Antonina for banana candy is the last granted by INPI in 2020

Revista da Propriedade Industrial (INPI’s Gazette) 2608 of December 29, 2020 publishes the granting of Indication of Provenance Antonina for banana candy, requested by Associação dos Produtores de Bala de Banana de Antonina e Morretes on September 3, 2019. With this one, the Geographical Indication registrations granted by INPI in 2020 reach a total of ten, three being Denominations of Origin and seven Indications of Provenance.

According to the documents submitted in the application, the first journalistic record on the production of banana candy in the city of Antonina, located in the coastline of the state of Paraná, happened in 1979. Even after so long, the production of the candy still respects family traditions and the product is homemade, even if with the aid of machines. While the artisanal method is still employed, the production volume is impressive, amounting to more than 15 metric tons per month.

Additionally, the documents submitted show the importance of the production of banana candy and the material role of the factories in the growth of Antonina, including promotion of tourism. With the increased number of visitors, the city has come to be known, in several Brazilian places, as a banana candy producer, a typical good that helps the regional culture to be recognized and is regarded as a cultural heritage of the city.

With this granting, the Geographical Indications registered with the Institute reach 84, 23 being Denominations of Origin (14 national and nine foreign) and 61 national Indications of Provenance.

Understanding Geographical Indication

The GI is a sign composed of a geographical name or its demonym that indicate the geographical origin of a good or service. Only manufacturers and service providers with their principal place of business in the relevant territory (usually organized in representative entities) can use the GI.

The GI type called Indication of Provenance refers to the name of a country, city or region known as a center of extraction, production or manufacturing of a certain product or provision of a certain service.

The Denomination of Origin, on its turn, refers to the name of a country, city or region whose good or service has certain specific characteristics thanks to its geographic environment, including natural and human factors.