A dozen development groups from around the region are involved in the "Andalusian Cheesemaking Heritage” project.

Since September of last year, the Valle del Guadalhorce rural development group has been coordinating the joint activities undertaken by the Andalusian Cheesemaking Heritage cooperative, a project of 18 months’ duration in which a dozen Andalusian development groups are taking part (Comarca de los Pedroches, Sierra de Cadiz, Alcornocales, Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, Guadalteba, Serrania de Ronda, Nororma, Sierra Morena Sevillana, Sierra de las Nieves, Antequera and Guadajoz y Campiña Este de Cordoba).

This project came about for two main reasons. Firstly, Andalusia boasts a wider assortment of artisan cheeses that any other region in Spain, with ten of its pure goat’s cheeses and five pure sheep’s cheeses listed by the European Union. In spite of this, these varieties of cheese have no quality mark to aid their promotion in foreign markets.
Secondly, the enormous quantity of goat and sheep milk produced in Andalusia is not reflected in the amount transformed. In Malaga, for example, only 2.5 per cent of all goat milk is transformed within the province itself, its added value thus being lost to other regions.

Objectives

The main objective of the project, therefore, is to restore the value of Andalusia’s artisan cheeses, which are the fruit of our climate, our soils, our environment and, of course, the special characteristics of our indigenous breeds of Andalusian livestock (Payoya, Malaga, Blanca Serrana, Florida, Grazalema Merina., etc.). The methods used to produce and preserve them are a patrimonial treasure that has been handed down from generation to generation right through to the present day and which has ensured the conservation of a cultural, ethnographic and gastronomic heritage of immense value that brings both wealth and development to rural areas.
This goal will be achieved via a series of measures coordinated by the Valle del Guadalhorce Rural Development Group. These will focus on encouraging the introduction of quality marks, the structuring of the Andalusian cheesemaking sector, the creation and consolidation of a network of companies and institutions involved with Andalusian cheese, the training of cheesemakers, innovation, development and the use of new technology in the traditional cheesemaking sector, the joint marketing of Andalusia’s artisan cheeses and the diffusion of information about said cheeses.

Measures

The measures planned to restore the value of Andalusia’s cheesemaking heritage include the compilation and adaptation of the region’s traditional cheesemaking recipes prior to their publication in a special catalogue.
Another step will be the setting up of www.quesosdeandalucia.es, a portal which will not only include information about cheeses but also serve as a tool for the joint marketing of Andalusia’s artisan cheeses.
At the same time, a study will be carried out to determine the most appropriate quality marks for this type of product with the aim of distinguishing it from others of a similar ilk in new markets.
Other activities planned include the sharing of experiences among members of the Andalusian cheesemaking sector, the establishment of collaborative agreements with catering schools in Andalusia, information campaigns to promote Andalusian cheeses and training courses for the cheesemakers themselves.

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