Berion, Pascal

Farming in the Jura mountains, both in France and Switzerland, has for centuries specialised in dairy cows, whose milk is used to make renowned cheeses, recognised by protected designations of origin (7 PDOs in total). More than a billion litres of milk are produced every year and 100,000 tonnes of cheese are made by a community of 3,500 farms, 220 cheese dairies (mainly village cooperatives) and around 40 ripeners.
Despite the presence of a national border, there are major similarities in the agricultural and socio-economic practices and challenges faced by these mid-mountain regions. All these cheese PDOs are governed by powerful and democratic inter-professional organisations. Although they do not all have the same economic dimension, Le Gruyère Suisse and Comté have a decisive weight due to their importance both in terms of volumes produced and the respective specifications.
To discuss and demonstrate a mode of function and regulation based on the management of a ‘common’, the approach is organised in three parts. The first presents the organisation of a cheese production system based on a technical division of labour within collective production units, generally cooperatives, where the pooling and mixing of milk is compulsory. The second explores the relationship between the terroir and the production area, and shows that the heterogeneity of natural conditions and the presence of remarkable ecological environments contribute to the expression of the typicality of cheeses. Finally, beyond the production system, the identity of cheeses and their associated landscapes is used by civil society, local residents and stakeholders. This ‘cheesemaking’ community is a key component of tourist activities, gastronomy, local society and its cultural attachment to the area, as demonstrated by the appeal of agricultural shows and cheese fairs and competitions.