Ecolnet Case Study :: Bregenzerwald Cheese Route
Country
AUSTRIA
Contact Details
Address: Käsestrasse Bregenzerwald Verein zur Förderung der Bregenzerwälder Käsekultur, A-6863 Egg,
Impulszentrum 1135
Tel: 43 (0)5513 42870-41
Email: natur@kaesestrasse.at
Web: http://www.kaesestrasse.at/
Impulszentrum 1135
Tel: 43 (0)5513 42870-41
Email: natur@kaesestrasse.at
Web: http://www.kaesestrasse.at/
Keywords
branding, network, routes, local products
Case Description
The Bregenzerwald Cheese Route Association is a co-operative venture involving farmers, dairies, inn-keepers, retailers and the trades in a smallscaled region in the Western Austrian province of Vorarlberg near Lake Constance. All the members in the Cheese Route are com-mitted to preserving the typical landscape and promoting the development of the local produce.
Best Practices
1
Criterion 1 B.4. Local Entrepreneurs
Criterion 2 B.1. Community Development
Description
Criterion 2 B.1. Community Development
Description
Its primary objectives were the preservation of the smallholding agricultural structure so important for the regional identity and management of the cultural landscape. They also strived for increased value added from regional dairy production, for networking between actors in tourism, agriculture, and the trades, retail and services for maintaining small village dairies and the alpine dairies, and for preservation of the typical type of three-level alp farming. Additionally public relations work and marketing for the Bregenzerwald region on the basis of synergies between agriculture and tourism were started promoting the region’s cheese culture and innovation and also promoting direct marketing of the produce in the region. Over 180 members joined by now (cheese makers, innkeepers, farmers, diaries, museums, local tourist offices); production and marketing of over 30 high-grade cheeses (3 at the beginning); high brand recognition etc.