The ministry’s initiative and staff evaluations

The recent revision of the guidelines by the Ministry of Health puts small-scale artisanal production at risk.

Many insiders openly criticize some aspects of the guidelines that appear to be unresponsive to real health protection needs and form themselves into an Associative Network.

The problem is not only economic. The new rules impose a very rigid sanitary chain, from the stable to the dairy, with the obligation of analyses that, for those working at certain altitudes or in very small places, are often inapplicable. “If this line passes,” warns Simone, “we risk losing hundreds of small farms, custodians of knowledge, biodiversity and territories.

The group is now extending its network to all protection consortia, trade associations, and independent cheesemakers. The goal is to increase the number of participants and have the strength to represent the demands of the industry.

“Without collective action, everyone remains alone,” is the message the promoters want to send. The letters, emails, and contacts have already started. “We are few, but not irrelevant. Those who make raw milk cheese keep the mountains, native breeds, quality agriculture alive. We need fair rules, not a bureaucracy that erases us.”