In Italy stable meadows are disappearing through the abandonment of the countryside and soil consumption.

Across Europe they occupy a surface area as large as France, and the most flourishing meadows are found in Ireland, Spain and Portugal. They’re fundamental for maintaining biodiversity, be it vegetal or animal, and for the diet and well-being of the animals that feed on them. Naturally, they’re important for the production of cheeses that are good and healthy, rich with complex aromas and flavors. Yet in Italy these meadows are disappearing because of the abandonment of the countryside, soil consumption and the intensification of industrial farming activities.

This was the theme at Cheese, in the conference If natural meadows disappear. So-called stable meadows, better defined as semi-natural meadows, are lands created over the course of thousands of years by humans taking animals to graze. To maintain these meadows human activity, i.e. the continued grazing of herbivorous animals, is essential.

Read full article To make good, healthy cheese you need natural, diverse meadows at: cheese.slowfood.it

Photo credit: Freddie Ramm by Pexels