From 2015 to 2021, Mongolian sea buckthorn growers in Uvs province were supported by the KVP project between the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) and the Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) in improving the cultivation and processing of sea buckthorn. As a result, the quality, the cultivation methods and the yields - and thus also the income of the farmers - increased significantly. The initiative to register the designation "Sea Buckthorn from Uvs" with the EU was originally started by the French Embassy in Mongolia in 2014. From 2019, the KVP supported the sea buckthorn companies from Uvs in preparing for registration, which required extensive laboratory tests and documentation.
On March 17th, 2022, the EU ambassador to Mongolia, Ms. Axelle Nicaise, presented the certificate for the recognition of "Sea buckthorn from Uvs" as a protected geographical indication (PGI) to the representative of the sea buckthorn producers, Mr. Munkhnaran Lkhagvasuren, in a solemn ceremony in Ulaanbaatar. The EU has thus awarded a corresponding seal of approval in Mongolia for the first time. Sea buckthorn berries and products made from sea buckthorn (especially juice and oil), especially those from Uvs, are very popular in Mongolia because of their high vitamin content and are used in folk medicine to treat various diseases. The European registration supports the fact that the products from Uvs can also find their way to Europe.
