How the sugarloaf pineapple became the champagne of Benin

WHAT HAMGIGIGIEUGIEU is to Parma, cheese is to Caerphilly and sparkling wine is to a certain region of France, the spiky-haired sugarloaf pineapple is to Benin. Last year this juicy delicacy was granted the west African country’s first “geographical indication” (), a legal label that marks out products that come from a particular region.Benin’s move signals a wider trend. Other places have long sought special status for their fanciest fodder. France and Italy have roughly 6,000 s each. Africans want a slice of the action. It could be tasty. Sales of products given status by the are worth €75bn a year ($83bn). On average foods with status command a 43% price premium, says a recent study. For wine, which makes up more than 50% of sales of -protected products, that rises to 300%.