- Hawaii’s new coffee labeling law highlights the blurred lines of GI certification
- Minimum Hawaiian-grown content in coffee blends increased from 10% to 51%
- This sparks debate: Is GI more about genuine authenticity or clever marketing?
GEOGRAPHICAL Indication (GI) is a designation that many consumers associate with authenticity and quality, increasingly so in the world of coffee.
Yet, as recent changes to Hawaii’s coffee labeling laws demonstrate – raising the minimum content of Hawaiian-grown coffee in blends from 10% to 51% – the path to securing and maintaining GI certification is far from straightforward.
The law change raises questions about whether GI-labeled products genuinely deliver the authenticity consumers anticipate, or if they risk creating a misleading sense of provenance. As the coffee industry increasingly adopts these designations, it becomes evident that geographical indications are more complex and nuanced than they appear at first glance.
Geographical Indications serve as a means to identify products as originating from a specific region, carrying with them certain characteristics or qualities unique to that location. From Champagne to Parma ham, GIs are intended to protect both the product’s identity and the region’s reputation.
“Different types of GI in Brazil – such as Indication of Origin and Designation of Origin – create important distinctions for how a coffee is labeled for sale,” says Paulo Vischi, Founder and Head of Strategy at Be Consulting.
“Unlike other GI-certified products like wine, balsamic vinegar, or parmesan cheese, coffee is often altered after leaving its geographical region. In its raw form, coffee serves as an ingredient, and during later stages like roasting and extraction, its regional qualities can be significantly altered or lost.”
“This contrasts with wine, where every step—from grape cultivation to bottling—must occur within the designated GI area, especially for a Designation of Origin.
Many coffees, such as those from Colombia, Jamaica, and Ethiopia, are often associated with GIs, which consumers typically equate with quality. However, the reality is more complex, especially as GIs can fall under broader categories like appellations or denominations of origin, which are stricter certifications.
Jorge Raul Rivera, owner of Finca Santa Rosa and president of the Alotepec Denomination of Origin in El Salvador, highlights this complexity.
“A geographical indication doesn’t necessarily certify that a product is entirely produced within the designated borders,” he explains. “A GI can be granted even if a product is not fully produced in the region, as long as it meets certain quality standards.”
Hawaii’s recent coffee law change illustrates this issue. The law now requires a blend to contain at least 51% Hawaiian-grown coffee to carry the state’s name, up from the previous 10%. This raises questions about whether GI labels genuinely guarantee authenticity or quality, or if they sometimes serve more as a marketing tool than a strict certification of origin.
Why is the coffee sector turning to GIs?
Countries like Jamaica, Colombia, and Ethiopia have long leveraged the GI system to safeguard their coffee’s reputation on the global stage. Colombia, in particular, has enjoyed significant success with its “100% Colombian Coffee” label, which has become globally recognized as a hallmark of quality.
For coffee producers, GIs offer a valuable way to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, signaling a link between the product’s quality and its terroir—factors such as soil, climate, and traditional farming methods. As a result, the coffee industry has increasingly embraced GIs as a means of promoting origin-specific coffee.
Paulo, a territorial branding consultant who worked for the Cerrado Mineiro region —the first to receive a Designation of Origin in Brazil—notes that coffee produced under GI labels is marketed as exceptional due to the area’s distinct environmental factors. This highlights how, when properly implemented, GIs can serve as both a powerful marketing tool and a genuine assurance of authenticity for consumers.
“In Brazil, specifically for coffee, this means that a product with a Geographical Indication has been cultivated in a specific region known for its tradition and reputation (in the case of an Indication of Origin),” he says.
“It may also come from a demarcated area with unique soil and climate characteristics inherent to that territory, which, combined with the expertise of local growers, results in a singular product that cannot be found elsewhere (in the case of a Designation of Origin).”
However, the GI system can also present challenges. Without stringent controls, the certification can be misleading – and while the GI label can boost a product’s visibility and price, it does not always guarantee high standards, raising concerns about consumer trust.
“The setback I see within the GIs is that people might think it’s smart just to buy coffees from elsewhere and just label them as if they are from that region, because you can get them at a higher market price and you can cheat consumers,” Jorge says.
Protectionism or marketing?
At its core, a GI certification is intended to protect both the product and its place of origin. In theory, it ensures that producers are safeguarded from exploitation, while also allowing consumers to make informed choices. Yet, as we’ve seen with Hawaii’s law, the system can be gamed.
“Consumers love to see stamps and seals because it makes them feel safer,” says Paulo. “The appeal of GIs is often closely tied to consumers’ preferences. The official recognition of origin helps to build consumer trust in the product – regardless of whether or not the coffee is of high quality.”
“One of my customers from Germany said that some cultures just like to look for seals and stamps on the things we consume,” adds Jorge. “It makes them feel safer that what they consume is being reviewed by other people – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is good.”
But there are inherent risks with GIs, especially when regulations lack the rigor to prevent misuse. Hawaii’s decision to raise the percentage of locally grown coffee in blends is a move toward stricter controls, but it also underscores how GIs can be manipulated to create a misleading impression of authenticity.
While the tighter regulations may help protect local farmers, they also expose a broader issue: in some cases, the GI system has enabled products with only a minimal connection to the region to benefit from the prestige of the geographical association.
Consumers love it
Despite these complexities, consumers continue to trust GI labels, drawn by the assurance that a product originates from a specific region. This trust is particularly strong in the coffee industry, where the demand for sustainable and ethically sourced products has fueled the appeal of certifications tied to origin.
However, in many cases, GI labels serve more as marketing tools than as guarantees of quality or authenticity. “In my view, GIs are mainly promotional tools, but they’re not necessarily a synonym for high-quality coffee or a good product,” notes Jorge.
The success of Colombia’s coffee branding illustrates how a well-managed GI can provide significant market advantages – but only if the certification is handled transparently. Paulo emphasizes that while GIs can protect producers, they often focus more on creating a differentiated offering that meets consumer expectations than on ensuring the true authenticity of the product.
“Typically, in our territorial brand projects in Brazil, the region either already has Geographical Indication status or is in the process of obtaining it,” he says.
“However, for a territory, simply having the title of Indication of Origin or Designation of Origin does not guarantee success or added value. I believe that producers often have misconceptions about this.
Geographical Indications were originally designed to protect producers and guarantee authenticity for consumers. However, as recent developments in Hawaii demonstrate, these labels can sometimes be misleading. In the coffee sector, GIs are often used to promote regional varieties and support local farmers, but they can also be exploited as a marketing tool.
For consumers, it’s important to recognize that while GI labels provide a sense of reassurance, they don’t always guarantee true origin or quality. Ultimately, the focus should be on the coffee’s actual quality, not just the label attached to it.
Coffee Intelligence
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