Inovação diversificação a produção de queijos artesanais no cariri Paraibano

Abstract

The present study takes as its context the Cariri Paraibano, which historically records the production of artisanal cheese, mainly the rennet type (fresh, made from cow's milk) and goat type (fresh, goat's milk), involving dozens of families directly and indirectly, and hundreds of dairy farmers. They are cultural expressions and their qualities are deeply rooted in the environment where they are produced, their traditional work, expresses the local culture and the history of the families that have produced them for centuries. The artisanal cheese producers in the interior of Paraíba, in the last decades, as in other regions of Brazil, have had to face the challenges of introducing innovations in their production processes without losing some of the characteristics that distinguish this product. It is in this context that the research was inserted, questioning innovation and diversification in the production of artisanal cheeses in Cariri Paraibano. It seeks to bring to light the mechanisms, dynamics and actors that are part of the transformations that have occurred in the production process of artisanal cheese in Cariri. Empirical data were produced in field research, especially through interviews with 15 artisanal cheese producers from the municipalities of Boa Vista, Cabaceiras, São Domingos do Cariri, São João do Cariri, São João do Tigre, Serra Branca, Sumé, Soledade and Taperoá. The research sought to reveal issues related to traditional artisanal aspects of production, which have incorporated a series of innovation strategies, with emphasis on diversification and income generation for families in rural areas.