AbstractsGeography &GIS

The manufacture of cheese has provided an economic livelihood within many rural sectors of France for several centuries, One of the most typical examples of this agricultural activity is the ancient tradition of gruyere-making that had developed in the Jura mountains. Today gruyere is gaining an important position in the French dairy industry. Concurrently, however, a dilemma has arisen, resulting in the opposition of traditional cheese-making with modern technology. While the cheese chalets, with their rustic copper vats. have maintained the unique quality of the Comte gruyere product, their efficiency in terms of output has been seriously questioned by many dairy industrialist. In order to meet this challenge, the dairy industry of Franche-Comte is apparently initiating a major project of reorganization. Unfortunately, while the basis of a great effort for consolidation has been clearly defined, its full realization has not yet taken place. For the franc-comtois cheese maker is well aware that each step taken toward modernization must be weighed against the probability of losing the unusual character of the Comte product.