A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique

A practical guidebook published by Natural Justice in February 2025 to help local communities in Mozambique protect their traditional knowledge (TK) and cultural expressions. The guide details legal mechanisms for protection, including Geographic Indicators and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regulations, and provides step-by-step instructions for documenting TK and developing Community Protocols to manage interactions with outsiders.

• Mozambique provides two primary legal frameworks for the protection of traditional knowledge: the Industrial Property Code, which enables the registration of Geographic Indicators (GIs) for products linked to specific territories and traditional methods, and the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regulation, which requires prior permission and fair benefit distribution when TK is used.
• To obtain Geographic Indicator (GI) protection, a producer group must be established as a legally registered cooperative or association. The process involves documenting unique product characteristics, creating specifications, and submitting an application to the Institute of Industrial Property.
• GI protection can offer significant economic advantages, with protected products often selling for 20-50% more than non-protected versions. Potential GIs in Mozambique include honey from Manica Province, Makonde wood carvings, and goat meat from Tete Province.
• Under the ABS regulation (Decree 19/2007), which was under review as of November 2024, users of traditional knowledge must obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC). This ensures communities are fully informed of the project's goals, funding, and intended results before making a free decision to grant or refuse access.
• Benefit-sharing agreements under ABS can include non-commercial benefits, such as training, equipment, and research results, or commercial benefits, including royalties, profit sharing (e.g., 5-10% of product profits), and infrastructure development.
• Community Protocols are voluntary documents that outline a community's traditional rules, decision-making processes, and guidelines for how outsiders must interact with their knowledge. They serve as a 'rulebook' to strengthen the community's position during ABS negotiations.
• The guide recommends a three-tier enforcement system for Community Protocols: Level 1 focuses on prevention (e.g., visitor registration); Level 2 on monitoring (e.g., regular patrols); and Level 3 on response (e.g., community courts or engaging external authorities).
• Documentation of traditional knowledge is essential for establishing rights under ABS, but the guide emphasizes protecting 'confidential knowledge'—such as sacred spiritual practices or secret medicinal formulas—which should not be shared openly during registration.
• While many countries use national databases to protect traditional knowledge, Mozambique does not currently have one, although its development is under consideration.

APA

Lyman, A. A. (2025). A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique. Natural Justice. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Protecting-Our-Heritage.pdf

Chicago

Lyman, Ana Alecia. A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique. Natural Justice, 2025. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Protecting-Our-Heritage.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lyman |first1=Ana Alecia |title=A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique |publisher=Natural Justice |date=February 2025 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Protecting-Our-Heritage.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lyman2025community, author = {Lyman, Ana Alecia}, title = {{A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Protecting-Our-Heritage.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }