(Business in Cameroon) – The first International Penja Pepper Festival (Festi-Poivre) kicked off on June 24, 2025, in Penja, located in Cameroon’s Littoral region. The festival runs through June 26 and focuses on “Discovering the Authenticity of Penja Pepper.”
The opening day featured a cooking contest showcasing Penja pepper’s unique flavor. Attendees also joined two roundtable discussions: one on “Sanitary Quality, Phytosanitary Measures, and Traceability” as tools to protect Penja pepper’s authenticity, and another on the challenges of fraud and counterfeiting facing the spice.
The event’s official opening ceremony will took place on June 25. Organized by the Representative Group of the Protected Geographical Indication Penja Pepper (GR-IGPP), the festival aims to boost the economy by promoting the four local pepper varieties—white, black, red, and green—and their distinct tastes.
Penja pepper is renowned worldwide for its seasoning quality and lasting flavor. It became the first sub-Saharan African product to earn a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in 2013, certified by OAPI. The European Union reinforced this status in 2022.
The PGI certification increased Penja pepper’s market value dramatically. The price jumped from CFAF3,000 per kilogram in 2008 to CFAF20,000 in 2022, a nearly sevenfold rise in 14 years.
by BRM
