Ghana Secures Historic Protection for Kente Cloth as First Geographical Indication
Ghana has officially protected Kente cloth, allowing only authentic handwoven Kente from designated communities to carry the name.
Photo Credit: Joselyn Dumas/Instagram
Ghana's government has granted Kente cloth Geographical Indication (GI) status, meaning only cloth woven in designated Ghanaian communities can legally be called Kente.
- Bonwire
- Adanwomase
- Kpetoe
- Agbozume
are among the communities producing genuine Kente. This protection puts Kente in the same ranks as French Champagne and Italian Parmesan, brands protected by international law.
Only the real, handwoven fabric from these communities counts as genuine Kente now.
Ghana's first GI product, Kente cloth, represents something irreplaceable, rooted in a specific place and people.
Author's summary: Ghana protects Kente cloth with Geographical Indication status.