Paris: the heart of rural France

摘要

For cheesemakers all over France, winning a medal in the Concours General can make a difference in the competitive marketing conditions of French supermarkets, specialist shops and selling for export. The Salon International de I'Agriculture, which ran from 23 February to 2 March in Paris, attracted more than 608,000 visitors and 1,017 exhibitors, underlining the importance of farming, the heritage of regional products and the priority of food and its provenance in French life. This number included many families from Paris and surrounding areas. Popular halls were those exhibiting animals, which included competitions for different breeds of milking cows and beef animals, famous French breeds such as Charolais, for meat, and Montbeliarde, Normande and Abondance for milk and cheese. In the same hall was a stand featuring interactive quizzes, tastings, and literature from Cidil (Centre Interprofessional de Documentation et d'lnformation Laitieres), the organisation which is very pro-active in its educational and promotional energy for milk and all French dairy products.