Grazing is not just for cheese; ancient methods safeguard mountain forests and herders' crafts
(Background) Italy's thousand-year-old traditional Bitto cheese was originally made by hand by herders and gave off the scent of fresh grass, with great market value, but then industrial cheese producers moved in and laid down rules that completely violated the old ways, seizing the right to define "Protected Designation of Origin." Only cheese produced from industrially feed-raised milk could be called "traditional-method Bitto," while the true "traditional-method" Bitto became illegal! The local herders were unwilling to give up, and painfully renamed it "Attack Cheese" (Rebel Cheese), continuing to fight in the Alps.
In Ciapparelli's dictionary there is no word for "compromise"
Ciapparelli's entrepreneurial spirit is one of the keys to why Attack Cheese has fought on to this day. "From the moment I decided to defend this cheese, I knew I would have to earn my own living, because there is only war with the government, and there is no way to get subsidies."
So in 2003 he founded the Bitto trading company. Although it carries the name of a company, it is almost a nonprofit organization. "I buy fresh cheese from the 'rebels' at 16 to 17 euros per kilogram (about NT$567 to NT$603), regardless of grade, and this ensures they have enough income." The ethical pricing and firmness of conviction attracted young people to join the ranks of those guarding this ancient cheese.
Ciapparelli is practically a living dictionary of Attack Cheese, and in this dictionary there is no word for "compromise." Over twenty years of struggle, he has faced attacks from opponents, cold shoulders and broken promises from politicians, countless negotiations, consultations with governments at all levels, appeals to the EU, and more. "I am not the compromising type. I know I must make the world understand the story of Bitto and the meaning behind it."
Now renamed Attack Cheese, it has shaken off the threat of being accused of infringement, but building a brand and a new history from scratch is still a arduous task. Speaking of the future, beneath his short, thick eyelashes his gaze suddenly burns like a torch, and his sapphire-like pupils shine: "I really wish I were ten or twenty years younger. Now I am sixty-five years old, so I must whip the horse onward and work even harder."
Mountains are always seen as obstacles; mountain people always flow toward the plains. "More than ten years ago, we people in the mountains all thought we would eventually have to go abroad to work, but now Attack Cheese has drawn the world's attention here." He opened his hands, which had been clasped with fingers interlocked, and made a welcoming gesture. "I believe that when the cattle return to the mountains, the people will come back too."