ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the problem of weak negotiating positions, and trade isolation. It explains how Intellectual Property (IP) business positioning strategies can overcome both. The chapter explores the power of scale in earning intangible value. It describes the benefits of building collaborations among businesses to grasp the opportunities across sectors. The chapter addresses the issue of how to identify opportunities for an African business, whether a producing cooperative or a private sector company buying from producers. Many African agricultural businesses work across many different products over time, as commodity prices fluctuate. The chapter focuses on three large-scale cases that demonstrate IP business positioning: Ethiopian coffee; the Maasai tribe; and Ugandan shea butter producers. The Ethiopian fine coffee case demonstrates the application of integrated parts of a positioning strategy. The Ethiopian fine coffee sector was supported to use the same IP business tools that any western corporation would consider standard, indeed imperative.
