Development of a Tool to Delimit and Characterize the "Terroirs" of Dairy Farming in the Cheese Production Area of the "Massif Central" (France)
1999
Brunschwig, G | Michelin, Y. | Roussel, V. (ENITA de Clermont-Ferrand, Lempdes (France)) | Delbruel, B. | ValaDier, G.
A delimitation and characterization of the different "terroirs" of dairy farming in the "Massif Central" (France) were realized by summarizing two parallel approaches. By the expression "terroir", we mean a local area with homogeneous environment and homogeneous production systems. A simplified map of the natural environment was obtained by the superposition, with a geographical information system (GIS), of three maps: geological, relief and rainfall. In a parallel way, the data on livestock dairy systems were obtained from three successive surveys, in the "Massif Central" region, department and small zone scale; 43 dairy farming zones were delimited and characterized by their relative homogeneity. A map of the "terroirs" of dairy farming in the "Massif Central" was realized by the superposition, using a GIS, of the livestock dairy system map and of the simplified map of the natural environment. This method, used on 8 departments of the "Massif Central", corresponding to the production area of 7 sorts of AOC cheese made from cows' milk, lead to the identification and description of 55 "terroirs" of dairy farming.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari