The National Registrar has established a Geographical Indication (‘GI’) for Karoo Lamb under the Regulations for the protection of Geographical Indications and Designations of Origin.

These designations are common in Europe, which has established economic protections for heritage cultural products, which may only be produced with certain techniques and in certain areas in order to use the relevant name when sold on the open market. The most famous example being Champagne, which no sparkling wine may call itself unless produced in the Champagne region of the Loire valley in France.

WC Provincial Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer:

“We celebrate the fact that ‘Karoo Lamb / Karoo Lam’ is the first South African product to be registered as a GI under the Agricultural Products Standards Act.  As a result, the delineated area, interaction between product and geography, acceptable production practices and certification processes have been protected. Essentially, the unique ways in which Karoo Lamb is produced is recognised for its high quality and standards and will be protected […] this registration protects the reputation of Karoo Lamb and will ensure that the financial and reputational benefits return to the region”.

Dr Dirk Troskie, Director of Business Planning and Strategy with the WC Department of Agriculture, commented:

“Various scientific studies have shown that grazing plants in the Karoo region impart herbal and musty flavour attributes to meat from the sheep of this region. Karoo Lamb meat has specific aromatic and sensory attributes, which can be directly attributed to the geographical area. In order to be recognised, the typical natural vegetation of the Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo Biomes within the Great Karoo must be present on the farm from which the Karoo Lamb is sourced.”

The core region that will bear the GI trading permit includes the Western Cape Towns of Beaufort West, Laingsburg and Prince Albert, under an official Karoo geographical area covering 19.33 million hectares.

“Animals raised on farms in the Karoo region through free-range grazing on Karoo veld qualify as Karoo Lamb. Proof of origin of theanimals must be provided through the traceability system of the qualifying abattoirs that need to verify that all animals delivered by the registered and listed owners originate from farms in the defined Karoo region” added DrTroskie.

The successful lobbying efforts to acquire this designation have been driven by a circle of local institutions, namely the Karoo Lamb Consortium the agricultural departments of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces, the Universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).

Minister Meyer added that there was potential for other regions to be included in the designation, including the Hantam, Klein Karoo, and the Overberg areas, pending further deliberation.

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