ACS rum producers take new approach to dialogue
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| Published on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 |
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PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (ACS): The Fourth edition of the Rum Dialogue, organised by the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and hosted by the Nicaraguan Liquor Company, took place in that country’s capital on June 27, 2007, with the participation of representatives of the rum industry from the Island and Continental Caribbean.
In welcoming the delegates to the meeting, the Chairman of the ACS Special Committee on Trade, Gregorio Canales Ramírez, Director General of Foreign Investment of the Mexican Trade Secretariat, underscored the importance of the Greater Caribbean rum industry, recognised worldwide as the leading producer of rum.
In his opening remarks, the ACS Director for Trade, Manuel Madriz, highlighted the importance of this meeting, as a forum for the strengthening of the collective capacities existing within the area of trade development.
The Dialogue provided a space for various discussions affecting the rum industry in the Greater Caribbean. The representative of the Association of Dominican Rum Producers (ADOPRON, from the Dominican Republic) made a presentation on a dual definition of rum which was accepted in his country. The Dominican definition maintains that if the product was fermented and distilled, but not aged, then it should be classified as “sugar cane liquor or aguardiente”
Frank Ward, Chairman of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA), then informed the meeting of the rum definition recently adopted by the European Parliament which classified it as “a spirit drink exclusively produced by alcoholic fermentation and distillation, either from molasses or syrup produced in the manufacture of cane sugar or from sugar-cane juice itself and distilled at less than 96% vol.”
In light of the foregoing, the meeting was unanimous in expressing the need to promote the international recognition of rum as an alcoholic beverage derived exclusively from sugar cane.
The meeting also examined the summary of discussions held within the ambit of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on harmful alcohol consumption. After a lengthy debate on that issue, the meeting requested that ACS Secretariat prepare a document encompassing the existing initiatives, measures and restrictions in the ACS Member and Associate Member States with respect to alcohol related advertising as well as the promotion of responsible alcohol consumption.
The Chairman of the Committee also tabled the idea of creating a code of best practices for the rum industry.
The 5th Rum Dialogue has been scheduled to take place in October 2007, and will be hosted by the Association of Alcoholic Drink Producers of Guatemala, at which time it is hoped that a representative of the rum industry of Mexico will speak to the meeting on that country’s experience in responsible advertising for the alcohol industry. |
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