Artisanal cheese workshops in the State of Alagoas, Brazil: know-how, reinterpretations and challenges in the legalization of activities

Abstract

The production and marketing of artisanal dairy products is a widespread agri-food activity in the Northeast of Brazil, maintained mainly by rural producers linked to family agribusiness. Based on this approach, this article aims to analyze the dynamics of the production of these foods in cheese workshops in the state of Alagoas. The empirical context used was the Dairy-Producing Territory, located in the hinterland of the state, due to its economic, social and cultural configuration, which is linked to the development of dairy farming and the expansion of dairy product processing units. The methodology is based on theoretical, documentary and field research. The empirical research was carried out between 2019 and 2021, period in which 22 production units were identified. In 2024, new fieldwork was carried out with the purpose of updating the collected information. On these occasions, the continuity of cheesemaking practices in the workshops was verified. Although these establishments play an important role in the processing and distribution of cheese and butter in local and regional market channels, they operate informally in relation to current legislation. Faced with pressure from the health inspection authorities and an increase in production capacity, the workshops have adopted processes of readjustment and technical specialization, which have given new meaning to traditional knowledge and artisanal practices in the production of dairy products.