A Community Guide to Safeguarding Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique

The document serves as a practical toolkit for Mozambican communities to safeguard traditional knowledge through legal mechanisms like Geographic Indicators (GIs) and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regulations. It details the process of forming producer associations for GI registration, negotiating Prior Informed Consent (PIC) for research, and developing Community Protocols to govern interactions with outsiders. The guide emphasizes the role of knowledge holders in maintaining secrecy and the importance of tiered cost-sharing models to make legal protections accessible to vulnerable community members.

• Mozambique provides two primary legal mechanisms for protecting traditional knowledge: the Industrial Property Code, which enables the registration of Geographic Indicators (GIs) for products linked to specific territories, and the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regulation, which requires permission and fair compensation before traditional knowledge is used.
• To obtain Geographic Indicator (GI) protection, a community must establish its producer group as a legally registered association or cooperative. The process involves documenting unique product characteristics, creating specifications, and submitting an application to the Institute of Industrial Property.
• GI protection can yield significant economic advantages, with protected products often selling for 20-50% more than non-protected alternatives, while also supporting local jobs and biodiversity conservation.
• Because GI registration costs can be a barrier, the guide suggests cost-sharing models based on producer size (small, medium, large) or partnerships with NGOs and government agencies to cover application and documentation fees.
• Under the ABS regulation (Decree 19/2007), any entity wishing to use traditional knowledge must obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC). This process requires that the community be fully informed of the project's objectives and funding before making a free decision to grant or refuse access.
• Benefit-sharing agreements under ABS can include non-commercial benefits, such as training and research results, or commercial benefits, such as royalties, profit sharing (suggested at 5-10% for some projects), and infrastructure development.
• Community Protocols are voluntary documents that establish a community's rules, values, and decision-making processes. They serve as a 'rulebook' for outsiders, detailing first-contact steps and requirements for Prior Informed Consent.
• 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 ABS permit applications, but the guide warns that sacred, secret, or sensitive information should remain confidential to prevent misuse or loss of economic potential.
• Mozambique currently lacks a national database for traditional knowledge, although its development is under consideration to help preserve cultural wisdom and protect community rights.

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} }