The Association of Cheese Producers of Ukraine and its members, with the support of the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP), joined the annual conference of the FACEnetwork (Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese & Dairy Producers European Network), which brings together national associations of artisan cheesemakers and farmers, research centres and laboratories from more than 20 European countries. The event took place on 27–29 October in Rovinj (Croatia).
Important topics of the event included the preservation of traditional cheeses and entry into international markets, affinage processes in small cheese dairies, and the creation of added value in micro- and craft production.
Conference participants received up-to-date EU data on raw milk cheeses (STEC Testing and Control in Raw Dairy Production), learned about the marketing of artisanal products, and discovered trends in the development of small cheese dairies in Europe through tourism and short master classes.
“Representatives of Ukraine took part in key discussions, met with experts and manufacturers from various European countries, presented Ukrainian cheese and talked about Ukrainian cheese-making traditions and market characteristics. This allowed us to establish a much wider circle of professional contacts, which will serve as a basis for future joint projects, training programmes, production exchanges and partnerships,” said Tetyana Dyadechko, Head of the Association of Cheese Producers of Ukraine.
According to her, after participating in the event, Ukraine received representation at the level of Board Member FACEnetwork.
“Today, Ukraine confidently asserts itself as a country with a unique craft tradition and great potential in cheese making. The FACEnetwork conference has become a platform that opens the way for Ukrainian cheesemakers to new international partnerships and modern knowledge necessary for the development of cheese making in Ukraine and the professional association of small producers. This is an important step towards strengthening Ukraine’s position on the global cheese map,” said Iryna Vysotska, Deputy Local Manager, Dairy Sector Component Coordinator of QFTP.
The participation of Ukrainian cheesemakers in FACEnetwork significantly increases the recognition of Ukrainian artisan cheese among the EU professional community. Many conference participants discovered Ukraine for the first time as a country with a high-quality cheese culture and ambitious producers. This forms a solid foundation for the further integration of Ukrainian products into European markets.
