Dear colleagues,

The nice example of Italian goat's cheese presented by Lorenzo Ceccolini raises several general issues related to agriculture and biodiversity:
- Market value of local products: Is there already today a national market for these three types of goat cheese, i.e. are these products sold more widely, stating their origin? Are the different types of cheese distinctive or would (today´s or future) market value mainly build upon the attraction of a local origin?
- Biodiversity: Are there any genetic differences between the goat breeds of the three areas (reflected in the cheese)? Or in the grazing areas (but perhaps phenotypic differences are not part of the biodiversity concept?).
- Traditional knowledge: Does the differences in production methods reflect long-time adaptations to the specific conditions of the areas?

Looking forward to learn more!

A contribution by:

Tor-Bjorn Larsson
European Environment Agency