Coorg Arabica Coffee GI: What It Covers and How to Prove It

Short answer: "Coorg Arabica Coffee" is a geographical indication registered in India (GI application No. 604, class 30). The applicant is the Coffee Board in Bengaluru, India's national coffee board under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the GI covers arabica coffee from Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka, southern India. The registration certificate is dated 1 March 2019 and the registration runs to 31 December 2027 (IP India GI record 604; IP India is India's intellectual property office, which runs the GI Registry). The GI covers arabica only. There is no "Coorg Robusta" GI on the official register, so robusta from Kodagu can be sold with its true origin, but not under the Coorg Arabica GI or a Coorg robusta GI. A seller who wants buyers to believe the claim needs two things: an authorised-user registration under the GI, and lot records that link each bag to a Kodagu estate.

What does the Coorg Arabica Coffee GI cover?

The official IP India record for application 604 shows (IP India GI record 604, checked 15 October 2026; class and certificate number from our 14 October 2026 extract of the same record):

The same entry appears in IP India's Part A register of GIs, published 2 May 2026 (IP India, list of registered GIs), and in its state-wise list of registered GIs as of 31 December 2025 (IP India, state-wise list).

The defined area

The Coffee Board's GI application describes Coorg Arabica as coffee from the Kodagu region of Karnataka. It places the district on the eastern and western slopes of the Western Ghats, at roughly 75°25'–76°14' E and 12°15'–12°45' N (Coffee Board, GI application for Coorg Arabica). The application gives two elevation figures: 750–1,100 m above mean sea level in the specification, and 900–1,100 m in the district profile. Take the boundary from the GI Journal copy on the official record, not from either number alone. (The copy we read is the application as hosted by oriGIn, a third-party international GI network, not by IP India. The IP India record lists the filed documents, including the journal copy.)

The application says the uniqueness comes from Kodagu's position in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot and from growing coffee under shade trees (GI application). It names the Coffee Board as the inspection body, describing its licensing and inspection of coffee curing works.

Coorg arabica vs Coorg robusta

Kodagu grows both species. The GI application itself says "there are two types of coffee grown in Kodagu region namely Arabica and Robusta" (GI application). But only the arabica name was registered. The 2 May 2026 Part A register lists these coffee GIs, and none of them is a Coorg robusta. The only "Coorg" entries on it are Coorg Arabica Coffee, Coorg Orange and Coorg Green Cardamom (IP India Part A register):

A government backgrounder from November 2025 also lists the five regional coffee GIs as Coorg Arabica, Wayanad Robusta, Chikmagalur Arabica, Araku Valley Arabica and Bababudangiris Arabica (PIB, "Brewing Prosperity", Nov 2025).

So "robusta from Kodagu, Karnataka" is a true origin statement if your records support it. "Coorg Robusta GI" is not, on the current register. The two robusta GIs that do exist have their own specifications: Wayanaad Robusta Coffee is registered for Kerala, and Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee is a monsoon-processed specialty coffee registered for Karnataka and Kerala. A robusta lot can carry one of those names only if it meets that GI's own specification and the seller is entitled to use it. Note too that Kodagu is not the only Karnataka coffee GI: Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiris Arabica Coffee are separate GIs for neighbouring areas.

Who can use the name

Under India's Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, the right to use a registered GI on the goods belongs to registered authorised users. The registration is made under Indian law; how the name is protected in other markets depends on those markets' own rules. A producer applies to the Registrar to be entered as one (our guide to checking GI tagged products explains the process). The Coorg Arabica record lists 23 authorised-user entries (checked 14 October 2026; IP India GI record 604). The count is a snapshot; check the entry and its status on the record itself.

The GI registration itself runs to 31 December 2027. A buyer checking a claim after that date should confirm it has been renewed.

What evidence do buyers accept for Coorg arabica?

There is no single "Coorg certificate" that covers a bag. Buyers put together several documents, each of which proves something different.

Ochratoxin A (OTA). OTA is a mycotoxin found in coffee beans and other foods. It can form during harvest, storage and processing when temperature and humidity are unfavourable (Eurofins). The EU sets maximum OTA levels for roasted and soluble coffee and lowered them from 1 January 2023 under Regulation (EU) 2022/1370. Those limits now sit in Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (Eurofins; AGRINFO). Importers into the EU often ask for an OTA result on the lot. Ask your lab to state the method and the limit of quantification.

Pesticide residues. Buyers usually ask for a residue screen against the maximum residue limits of the destination market. Agree with the buyer which pesticide list and which limits apply before you send the sample.

EUDR (explainer only). Coffee is in scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115. Operators placing coffee on the EU market must file a due diligence statement that includes the geolocation of the plots where it was grown (a simplified declaration applies to some micro and small primary operators). After the amendment in Regulation (EU) 2025/2650, the rules apply from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and from 30 June 2027 for most micro and small operators. For a Kodagu estate, the practical effect is that EU buyers will ask for plot coordinates and a lot-to-shipment link. IndiTrace can hold plot locations and lot records, but it does not file due diligence statements or run deforestation checks. That stays with the operator.

What should a Coorg coffee seller record per lot?

The GI tells a buyer that genuine Coorg arabica comes from Kodagu. Lot records show that this bag is part of it. For each lot, record:

Three points carry most of the weight:

1. Keep species separate. Arabica and robusta often grow on the same estate in Kodagu. A lot sold as Coorg Arabica must contain only arabica from the GI area, and the processing and curing records should show that.
2. Keep GI-area coffee separate from other regions. If a curing works or trader blends Kodagu coffee with coffee from Chikkamagaluru, Hassan or Wayanad, the blend cannot be sold as Coorg Arabica. The blending record has to list every input lot.
3. Test the lot you sell. Take the OTA and residue samples after curing and blending, from the lot that will ship, so the results describe what the buyer gets.

How can a shopper check a Coorg coffee claim?

1. Check the species on the pack. "Coorg Arabica" is the GI. If the pack says Coorg robusta, or does not name a species, the GI does not apply.
2. Look up the GI. Open IP India GI record 604 and confirm that the status is "Registered" and the registration is still valid.
3. Find the seller or estate among the authorised-user entries on the same record. A roaster or brand that is not itself an authorised user should be able to name the authorised-user estate it bought from.
4. Ask for lot evidence. A lot number on the pack, plus a grade report and a lab report that name the same lot number, is far stronger than a GI logo alone.

What a trace page can and can't prove

A trace page linked to the bag by a QR code can show the estate, the picking and processing dates, the curing works, the grade, the lab report and the GI authorised-user number, all tied to one lot number. In IndiTrace, each confirmed record is also fingerprinted on the Polygon blockchain, which shows that the record has not been edited since it was confirmed.

It can show:

• what the seller recorded about this lot, and when;
• which documents were attached, such as the grade statement, lab report and authorised-user registration;
• that the record has not changed since it was confirmed.

It can't show:

• that the facts entered were true. A wrong estate name stays wrong, just provably unedited;
• that the coffee in the bag is arabica, or that it came from Kodagu. Only the supply records, inspections and lab tests can support that;
• GI status. That is granted by India's GI Registry and can be looked up on the IP India record. IndiTrace does not grant or certify GI rights, and does not check them for you;
• EUDR compliance. IndiTrace does not file due diligence statements.

For how roasters link a bag to its green lot and origin more generally, see our specialty coffee traceability guide. The coffee solution page shows how estates and roasters set up lot records.

Questions

Q: Is Coorg coffee GI tagged? Coorg Arabica Coffee is. It is registered in India as GI application No. 604, held by the Coffee Board, with certificate No. 331 dated 1 March 2019, valid to 31 December 2027.

Q: Is there a GI for Coorg robusta? No. The IP India register published on 2 May 2026 has no Coorg robusta GI. The robusta coffee GIs on it are Wayanaad Robusta Coffee (Kerala) and Monsooned Malabar Robusta Coffee (Karnataka and Kerala), each with its own specification.

Q: Who owns the Coorg Arabica Coffee GI? The Coffee Board, Bengaluru, is the registered applicant. Producers who want to use the name must register as authorised users with India's GI Registry.

Q: Where is Coorg arabica grown? In Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka, southern India, on the slopes of the Western Ghats. The GI application gives elevations of 750–1,100 m in its specification and 900–1,100 m in its district profile.

Q: What documents should come with a lot of Coorg arabica? The estate's GI authorised-user number, picking and processing records, the curing works grade statement, a lab report naming the lot (moisture, OTA, residues), and, for exports, the Coffee Board export permit and ICO Certificate of Origin.

Sources

1. IP India, GI Registry public search, application 604 "Coorg Arabica Coffee": https://search.ipindia.gov.in/GIRPublicSearch/Application/Details/604 (record checked 15 Oct 2026; authorised-user count checked 14 Oct 2026)
2. IP India, Part A Register, list of registered GIs of India (published 2 May 2026): https://ipindia.gov.in/storage/uploads/docs-operator/aa9ef4c8-ae0e-4717-9181-52b6a9479b82.pdf
3. IP India, state-wise list of registered GIs as on 31 December 2025: https://ipindia.gov.in/storage/uploads/docs-operator/0dfdca05-ef05-4e45-bf5b-68b5eb5d8507.pdf
4. Coffee Board, GI application (Form GI-1) for Coorg Arabica, Dec 2017; third-party copy hosted by oriGIn (official documents listed on the IP India record): https://www.origin-gi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/604-coorg-arabica.pdf
5. PIB, "Brewing Prosperity" coffee backgrounder, Nov 2025: https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/nov/doc20251129711101.pdf
6. Coffee Board, Exporter (RCMC, export permits and ICO Certificate of Origin): https://coffeeboard.gov.in/Exporter.aspx
7. Sucafina, Plantation A (Indian grading terms): https://sucafina.com/na/offerings/plantation-a
8. Eurofins, Maximum levels for ochratoxin A in food: https://www.eurofins.com/en-de/food-testing/news/maximum-levels-for-ochratoxin-a-in-food/
9. AGRINFO, Maximum levels of ochratoxin A: https://agrinfo.eu/book-of-reports/maximum-levels-of-ochratoxin-a/
10. Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1115/oj/eng
11. Regulation (EU) 2025/2650 (EUDR amendment): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2650/oj/eng