The proposal to register the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) ‘Agaete Coffee’ in the European Union has successfully completed the first phase of its national administrative processing. The application, driven by the Asociación Agroagaete and the Agaete City Council, and processed through the Canary Institute of Agri-food Quality (ICCA), received no objections during the public information period.
Luis Arráez Guadalupe, director of the ICCA, highlighted that the publication of the favorable declaration for the community processing of this seal represents "an endorsement of the technical solidity of the proposal and a decisive step towards the legal protection of a unique product from Gran Canaria." According to Arráez, this resolution "is a support for the rigorous work and a reward for the effort of the Agaete coffee sector," immediately activating the transitional protection of the term nationally while the procedure is completed in European institutions.
Following this pronouncement by the regional government, the file will be communicated to the General Directorate of Food of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) for transfer to the European Commission. The Commission will have a maximum of six months to examine the application. Subsequently, after validation, it will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), opening a new three-month public information and opposition period, prior to its definitive recognition.
The implementation of the PGI recognizes that the quality and reputation of the product are due to its geographical origin, contributing to the promotion of the rural economy, especially in areas with high production costs such as the Outermost Regions (ORs).
The ‘Agaete Coffee’ PGI exclusively covers green bean coffee, roasted beans, and ground coffee, obtained from seeds of Coffea arabica L., Typica variety, historically introduced and cultivated in the municipality of Agaete. Its cultivation takes place at altitudes between 150 and 550 meters above sea level, in an environment with unique agroclimatic conditions. All phases of the process, from cultivation to processing, must be carried out entirely in this enclave to guarantee the uniqueness of this production. Agaete is the only territory in Spain and Europe where coffee culture is cultivated and disseminated integrally, with a tradition documented since the 19th century, achieving international recognition with a bronze medal at the Universal Exposition of Paris in 1889.
