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Is it still worth protecting the identity of Swiss cheese?

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I cover food and agribusiness and have a special interest in sustainable supply chains, food safety and quality, as well emerging players and trends in the food industry. A background in forestry and conservation biology led me down the path of environmental advocacy. Journalism and Switzerland made me a neutral observer who holds companies accountable for their actions.

Courts in the United States and the European Union have refused to recognise the ‘Swissness’ of Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese respectively. Even the Swiss government has abandoned the battle to protect traditional Swiss cheese names abroad.

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Protecting these names safeguards quality, heritage and rural livelihoods. On the other hand, once a product becomes global, its name inevitably becomes generic and open to broader use. 

In an increasingly globalised food market, how can Switzerland still defend the identity of its cheeses and should it do so?

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Aquahood CH
AquahoodCHJD

Yes, even if this American AOC doesn’t protect it. It still tells people all over the world that it’s a Swiss product made from milk, rather than one full of antibiotics, growth hormones and cheese produced to our standards. America had an AOC, but it quietly dropped it, as bourbon was once only produced in Kentucky.

Anand Chandrasekhar
Anand Chandrasekhar SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@AquahoodCHJD

American Gruyere sells for between $15-20 per kilo in the US, compared to about $60 for Gruyere cheese imported from Switzerland. Do you think American consumers are willing to pay that much more for the AOC label?

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR