Why were tons of premium milk thrown away during the pandemic?
In the microworld of artisan cheese , producers who do not work for big industry know each other perfectly. When a colleague has a hard time, the rest do not usually hide, because if one falls, they all fall behind. Trouble comes when no one is safe from burning . So it was during the hardest moment of the pandemic , when the contagion curve was not flattened even with a steamroller. Two videos began to circulate among small producers to denounce an anomalous situation. While the big supermarkets invoiced more millions than ever, with unjustifiable price increases in fresh food, the entrepreneurs were dying with their product still hot in their hands.
To demonstrate to what extent despair had taken hold of their way of life, two farmers wanted to record for eternity the injustices of the dairy market . The first video is of a goat milk farmer intended for the production of yogurts and cottage cheese for hotels and restaurants on the Costa Brava . “Due to the crisis generated by COVID-19, companies have suffered a huge drop in their sales. And we are forced to throw away all the milk production he says as he opens the floodgates for tons of premium quality goat's milk flood the ground.
The first thing one can think of is that the farmer could give away all that milk to the most needy before spoiling it. Before receiving a storm of unwarranted criticism, he explains the reason for his action. “ As the milk is not pasteurized, it is not fit for human consumption. ”. The video ends with a request rather than a farewell: "What I wanted to ask you is that you make a responsible purchase with local products . Because our continuity only depends on you”.
The other video is in tune with the first . Perhaps the difference is that the date, name and surnames are put on the face uncovered. In the words of the farmer, on April 3, 2020, the exploitation of 60 ecological cows Can Roger de Cardedeu , he had to do what no rancher wants to do ”. The peculiarity of this operation is that it sells exclusively to small yogurt, cheese and dairy workshops for schools . “Not selling to big industry has its advantages, but it also has some drawbacks. And now, unfortunately, we have the inconveniences”, says the farmer looking at the camera before opening the tap of the tank so that 2588 liters of the best cow's milk are lost forever. “I have tried to place this milk in every way to any bakery. I've talked to all of God, but I can't blame anyone. It is not all of our production, but today throwing milk in this way is almost a crime ”. And he leaves the same message as the first video for the end: “Please, do not stop consuming the cheeses of all the life of the small artisans . It is not necessary to buy everything on the supermarket shelves looking for the cheapest milk”.
Two and a half months later, we can guarantee that, although it seems impossible, these farmers have managed to reverse the situation . And it is that the world of artisanal cheese has shown an unusual ability to adapt to new times . “Many consumers do not know that the feed for the cows of a medium-sized farm exceeds 12 thousand euros per month . Feeding these animals without knowing if you will be able to make a profit in the short term can spell bankruptcy for any farmer without help from integrators ", He says Martha Roger , sister of the farmer in the second video, former butcher for 15 years and founder of the initiative Formatgers in confinement (Cheese in confinement).
Her goal was to break with a maxim that has been repeated historically: "The small artisan cheese producer ends up throwing away liters of milk because nobody values their high-quality product," she says forcefully. This time it has been a global pandemic, but in the past there were a thousand more stories, and in the future there will be new ones. The question was to achieve, now and here, an emergency solution for small producers.
“I remember perfectly the day I saw a farmer throw milk. I dared to ask, for the first and last time, why are you spoiling so much premium milk d. I will always remember your answer 'Nobody loves her' , she told me she; how could it be that no one wanted the best quality milk? The worst came when my brother told me that the same thing happened to him with his cows”, explains Marta Roger to understand the background of his great initiative. "That's how I realized all these small farmers just wanted a guarantee for their milk . I told them that with that milk we would good cheeses and this is how we started to sell cheeses in confinement . If the chambers were full, what better way to put it to good use than by making great cheeses?” he says. “ We have ended up changing milk for cheese and people have responded wonderfully”.
Currently, the name of cheeses in confinement has passed to a better life, and has mutated to La Paissa . Yogurts, fresh cheeses, cow, goat and sheep cheeses, but also lamb, kid and suckling lamb. Award-winning cheeses and the best valued in the Catalan territory . A candy for any lover of good cheese.
“It has been very curious because people followed a very particular process during the days of total closure. At first, everyone went to the supermarkets to fill the shopping cart for a whole month, as if it were the world catastrophe. As days go by, It was when the awareness and desire for proximity consumption awoke . Once people had cans of preserves until 2021 it was time to buy trustworthy fresh product ”, says Marta Roger wisely before releasing a paradoxical reflection: “It is strange to say it, but for us the confinement has been a great marketing campaign . The closure has helped many people try for the first time good handmade products with the real taste of things ”. Without a doubt, it was the best way to retain new consumers. “It happens with cheese and it happens with other products. Lamb, kid or suckling pig from the supermarket or the one bought directly from small producers are two different worlds. The flavor is from another galaxy”, she says, very sure of the product she sells.
The big question is what will happen now . With the reopening of businesses and life in general, Will consumers go back to their old ways or will they acquire the new healthy habits as a habit? “Once the State of Alarm has passed, people will once again spend most of their budget on food in large supermarkets. Why? Because car expenses, insurance, vacations come back , etc.. During this strange time that we have had to live, for the first time in a long time no money was spent on leisure , and everything was focused on achieving good quality food . But let's be disappointed, when all expenses are redistributed again, unfortunately this will end. We are not emotionally or mentally prepared for food to be the 60% of our spending . Right now it should be at a maximum of 11%” they say from La Païssa.
For this reason, he has no problem recognizing that they are “ the number 1 enemy of the large supermarket chains , because if our model is successful, it skips over your profits. The supermarket would no longer have its integrating function of all food purchases". The truth is that if the final consumer knew that buying these cheeses not only helps the small artisan, but also prevent forest burning , you might think twice before sticking with an outrageously cheap private label cheese. “In fact, we have allied ourselves with the Flocks of Fire project, of the Pau Costa Foundation , which enhances the contribution of herds in fire risk management through grazing in forest areas, because small ranchers serve as firebreaks in the mountains”.
In conclusion, Martha Roger sums up everything lived in such a short time in a life lesson to remember: “What I take from all this is that we lack a bit of chauvinism. We do not dignify our great products . We small producers prefer to sell very cheap for fear of not selling, when what we have is high quality products . It is painful, but the marketing around food from large distribution, with its perfect labels and unbeatable prices, can do more than a much higher quality product from a small producer. We have no idea of the amount of money invested to make people believe that the supermarket product is of superior quality. I am not saying that the quality of the supermarket product is bad, but it is evident that the quality of a small producer is superior , because if you have a fruit that has ripened on the tree or an animal that has fattened by suckling from its mother, it is something that a large surface area will never be able to guarantee. Neither for logistics nor for quantities nor for costs”.