Liberian Herbal Startup Begins its Intellectual Property Journey, registering trademark for organic Moringa leaf powder and tea, a plant with antioxidant properties
In its native India, the moringa plant is known to some as the ‘tree of life’ and the ‘miracle tree’. The names reflect the value this drought-resistant tree has in Indian traditional medicine, where its leaves, bark, roots and seeds are used to treat a wide variety of ailments, from dry skin and diabetes to anemia and asthma. Although the reputed health benefits of moringa still require scientific study, its reputation as a herbal one-stop-shop has spread as the tree has been introduced to tropical and subtropical regions around the world.
Tested health benefits of Moringa inspired Zaag Naturals
From homemade remedy to business success
Naturals. (Image: courtesy of Ms. Sandra
Perkins-Lighe)
One place where moringa has been introduced is the leafy suburbs of Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. It was here that Sandra Perkins-Lighe learned about the plant’s reputed health benefits. As the co-owner of Toe-Zarzar Farm Inc., a cocoa farming company, Sandra was well-versed in agribusiness. However, it was not until she began struggling with postpartum obesity following the birth of her third son that she started investigating moringa’s potential. After incorporating moringa into her diet and exercising regularly, Sandra not only lost weight but felt a significant improvement in her overall wellbeing. Inspired, she established Zaag Naturals to produce and sell medicinal moringa products.
At first, Sandra sold Zaag Naturals’ remedies to friends and family. As word spread, however, she began selling to a broader customer base and stocking her products in local shops. Soon Zaag Naturals could be found in five supermarkets in Montserrado and Nimba counties. The startup expanded in parallel, growing its own moringa trees and processing and packaging its products.
Enhancing knowledge of IP with WIPO
As the company grew in scope and professionalism, the need to protect its intellectual property (IP) became increasingly important. However, Sandra was not fully aware of the importance of IP and had not considered it a business priority. This changed in May 2023, when she participated in a Regional Conference on Intellectual Property for Women in Agribusiness in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The conference, organized by WIPO, raised awareness among African women entrepreneurs of IP and provided them with the knowledge and skills to enhance their business competitiveness.
Liberia’s first IP Management Clinic
The following month, Sandra was selected by the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) to join twenty-nine other startups at Liberia’s first Intellectual Property Management Clinic (IPMC). The IPMC is WIPO’s four-month program supporting innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop IP strategies that best showcase their business plans and portfolios of intangible assets. The participating companies are shown how to better manage and use their IP through personalized, one-on-one mentorship, expert advice and training. The clinic attended by Sandra, part of the WIPO COVID-19 Response Package, also offered one-on-one mentorship with IP and business development experts to help SMEs use IP strategically to recover from the pandemic.
Zaag Natural – A registered trademark in Liberia
The knowledge and skills gained from the Kigali conference and the IPMC inspired Sandra to pursue trademark registration for her brand. On December 18, 2023, “Zaag Natural” was officially registered and certificated as a trademark by LIPO, and her product labels now proudly bear trademark certification. Additionally, Sandra now includes an IP clause in all staff contracts to boost her business’ competitiveness.
Meeting the growing demand for Moringa products
“Entrepreneurship is a journey, not an event”
(Image: courtesy of Ms. Sandra Perkins-Lighe)
What began as a homemade remedy for friends and family has quickly expanded into a successful business. Sandy Group of Companies, a Liberian-owned agro-processing company of which Zaag Naturals is a subsidiary, now employs seven staff members and hires additional workers as needed. Zaag Naturals is now sold in thirteen locations and has diversified its product line to include ginger powders and teas.
Sandra credits much of this success to her application of IP. “As we engage new clients and share information about our IP registration, willingness to do business with us has increased,” she says. “We now supply products to eight supermarkets, one store, one hotel and one beauty salon in Montserrado and Nimba counties, as well as one online store and one social media platform.” Sandra is now exploring collaborations with other businesses using collective marks – trademarks owned and used by a collective, rather than just one company – to meet the growing demand for moringa products.
Offering advice to fellow entrepreneurs, Sandra emphasizes the value of IP registration for SMEs and the importance of incorporating IP into a business’ overall strategy. Perhaps most importantly, she is also keen to stress that commercial success takes time and persistence: “entrepreneurship is a journey, not an event.”
