NMPF’s Castaneda Advocates for Dairy in Switzerland
August 2, 2023
NMPF’s Jaime Castaneda pushed to protect common food names at the July 10 World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) general assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. NMPF’s executive vice president for policy development and strategy represented the U.S. dairy sector as well as other manufacturers of common-food-named products.
The Consortium for Common Food Names (CCFN), which NMPF’s trade policy team staffs, holds observer status in the organization because of its leadership on protecting common names like “parmesan” and “feta.” Castaneda advocated for a balanced approach that protects the rights of common names users while still honoring legitimate geographical indications (GIs). NMPF’s engagement with WIPO – an influential organization that has traditionally supported an agenda that has favored GI interests – is critical for countering the European Union’s common name monopolization campaign and keeping markets open for U.S. dairy producers around the globe.
Castaneda also joined a non-governmental organizations session with WIPO Director General Daren Tang and met with government representatives from the United States and elsewhere who participated in the assembly.
While in Geneva, Castaneda also met with World Trade Organization (WTO) officials and government representatives on July 11-13 about the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference taking place Feb. 26-29, 2024. Castaneda participated in sessions with the New Zealand and Australian Ambassadors to the WTO, Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Committee Marco Molina, WTO Deputy Director General Angela Ellard and several country delegations to discuss agricultural priorities for the upcoming February ministerial, including WTO dispute settlement reform and market access.
