Cheese returns to Bra, Italy, from September 16-19, 2011. The international biennial event organized by the City of Bra and Slow Food is now in its eighth edition. Dedicated to “milk in all its shapes and forms,” it has created an international network of cheesemakers and artisans who gather every two years to present their products, meet co-producers (consumers), discuss the challenges of the trade and market prospects and share solutions to problems old and new.
The program of the event is available on http://www.slowfood.it/cheese (select the language on the top right corner) Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/slowfoodhq
International Presidia and Food Communities at Cheese 2011
Ten different countries will be represented at Cheese by the Presidia, unique products protected by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Old favorites like Tcherni Vit green cheese from Bulgaria, Swedish cellar-matured goat’s cheese from Jämtland and Pokot ash yogurt from Kenya will be joined by four international Presidia participating in Cheese for the first time: Auvergne Salers Cow Cheeses from France, Mavrovo Reka Mountain Pasture Cheeses from Macedonia, Bregaglia Valley Mascarplin or Mascarpel and Mountain Pasture Sbrinz from Switzerland.
These Presidia, already familiar to Cheese visitors, will be on display in the International Presidia Market in Via Principi di Piemonte. Information about them can be found on the website http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org
Armenia Motal
Bosnia Herzegovina Cheese in a Sack
Bulgaria Tcherni Vit Green Cheese, Karakachan Sheep
France Bearne Mountain Pasture Cheeses, Pélardon Affiné
Great Britain Artisan Somerset Cheddar
Ireland Irish Raw Milk Cheeses
Kenya Pokot Ash Yogurt
Netherlands Aged Artisanal Gouda, Texel Sheep Cheese
Poland Oscypek
Romania Bucegi Mountains Branza de Burduf
Spain Carranzana Cara Negra Sheep Cheese
Sweden Jämtland Cellar-Matured Goat Cheese
Switzerland Raw Milk Butter, Emmentaler, Raw Milk Vacherin Fribourgeois
The Terra Madre Network: Food Communities
of Nomadic African Herders
The food communities belonging to the Terra Madre network are groups of people who produce, process and distribute quality food in a sustainable way and are historically, socially and culturally linked to a geographic area. The communities share the problems generated by an intensive agriculture that damages natural resources and a large-scale food industry that standardizes tastes and puts the very existence of small-scale production at risk.
At Cheese, representatives from Terra Madre food communities will be recounting the stories of women and men who make their livelihood by herding animals. They will participate in conferences and workshops and contribute to a global exchange of traditional knowledge.
Burkina Faso – Oudalan Nomadic Farmers
Oudalan is a vast border area, located along the invisible lines that divide Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Like the rest of the Sahel, the region is mostly populated by nomadic herding communities. The CRUS (Conseil Régional des Unions du Sahel) brings together around 40,000 herders and nomadic farmers, divided into 1.776 groups. The organization promotes interreligious dialog, the sustainable use of resources and food sovereignty through the realization of pastoral and agricultural potential and the promotion of local products.
Production area: Oudalan region
Ethiopia – Fantalle District Karrayu Pastoralists
Pastoralism and agropastoralism are the main livelihood systems for the Karrayu, a community living in the Fantalle district in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley. The Karrayu seasonally move their livestock to better pastures, using permanent settlements in different areas. This system is particularly suited to arid regions and allows the community members to easily adapt to the highly variable conditions. The animals raised by the Karrayu—cattle, camels, goats, sheep and donkeys—allow the community to use different types of fodder and provide food, traction power and a small income.
Production area: Fantalle district, Oromia region
Mauritania – Nouakchott Camel Breeders and Milk Producers
The breeding of camels on the outskirts of Mauritania’s capital is the modern version of an ancient activity, following the wide-scale urbanization that has affected the nomadic populations whose diet is based on milk. In the areas surrounding the capital, many farmers own or manage herds of dromedaries, gathered into groups of 20 to 30 animals allowed to graze freely. Camel milk is sold directly to passers-by and to intermediaries.
Production area: Nouakchott district
