KAMPALA-The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has praised the government of Rwanda for its initiative of directly connecting farmers to the retail coffee market.

Speaking during the just concluded regional forum for policy makers, Intellectual property law consultant, Dr. Getachewal Mengistie of Ethiopia, said that "African governments should emulate Rwanda’s successful programs of connecting farmers to retail coffee market”

He revealed that the project is aimed at developing a brand which would be owned by farmers and help them achieve maximum profits.

Addressing parliamentarians and delegates from English speaking developing countries of Africa in Kampala, Mengistie highlighted that "The government of President Kagame has also come up with a Trust fund where companies would return 16% of profits to the farmers via this project”.

In a related development, the same forum approved Rwanda as one of the countries set to benefit from WIPO’s assistance to educate and sensitize their populations on copyright, and trademarks.

"We are going to provide adequate support to East African countries to set up a regional Intellectual property body which would raise awareness of Intellectual property” WIPO Director in charge of least developed countries, Kiffle Shenkoru revealed to The New Times.  

The meeting has attracted participants from Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Tanzania, Lesotho, Malaysia and China.

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