Pecorino Romano PDO is not just a cheese, but a symbol of pastoral culture and the age-old bond between man, land and livestock farming .
Daniele Caddeo, coordinator of Agrinsieme Sardegna, strongly reiterated this, intervening in the lively debate on the proposal to modify the production specifications of the PDO, which in recent months has been dividing institutions, producers and representatives of the agricultural world.
"The Protected Designation of Origin of Pecorino Romano is a public good of the European Union - Caddeo declared - with the aim of safeguarding rural populations and their economic and social system. Its founding value is precisely the bond with the territory".
A bond that also passes through the valorization of native sheep breeds, such as the Sardinian sheep, the Nera di Arbus, the Comisana, the Massese, the Vissana, the Sopravissana and that of Amiata. Breeds historically rooted in the territories of Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grosseto, where the real Pecorino Romano is born.
At the heart of the debate – which involves the Region, the Protection Consortium, the cooperatives and the breeders – is the need to recognize and protect these traditional breeds as a distinctive and qualifying element of the PDO.
Caddeo clarified: «We are not against the free choice of breeders to use exotic breeds, such as French or Israeli ones. But it is wrong that the milk of these sheep is used to produce cheeses with denomination of origin such as Pecorino Romano, Fiore Sardo and Pecorino Sardo».
According to the regional coordinator of Agrinsieme, not all sheep are the same . Local breeds, such as the Sardinian, are “walkers”, live in wild pastures and feed on wild herbs, giving the milk unique organoleptic properties. «A milk, therefore, not replicable with animals raised indoors and fed with industrial feed».
Not surprisingly, Caddeo also raised doubts about the institutional and commercial communication of Pecorino Romano: «The advertising campaign we share – he said – insists on concepts such as 'free-grazing animals' and 'Sardinian sheep'. But either the milk really comes from those sheep, or the message risks becoming misleading. The two things cannot be true at the same time».
Agrinsieme therefore asks that the PDO specification be updated in a manner consistent with traditional production reality, including the list of native sheep breeds and strengthening the link with local territories and communities . "Defending the PDO means defending our roots, our countryside, our pastoral traditions," he concluded.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)