Rural Europe on the move English_E_version_all | Page 87

“Local farmers and sheep breeders
producing this high-quality cheese
in a traditional way continued to sell it
directly to their customers, through
what we call ‘friendly channels’.”
Pece Cvetkovski
The Forum Synergies’ team has
breeders producing this high-quality
gathered in the garden of Pece cheese in a traditional way continued
Cvetkovski (Villa Dihovo) in the to sell it directly to their customers,
Baba mountains close to Bitola, through what we call ‘friendly channels’.
North Macedonia, which was then But that alone was not economically
called Former Yugoslav Republic of viable. The big and often foreign food
Macedonia (FYROM). We are here in processing corporations put large
July 2013 to talk about ‘local food.’ quantities of low-quality cheese and
Back in 2013, North Macedonia was
OPPOSITE
1a. 1b. Villa Dihovo, where we enjoyed
Pece’s rural place and food
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2. Cironki, dried fish
3a. 3b. Stands from the local market in Bitola
meat into our supermarkets, often
in the process of losing its local food imported, and wrapped in many layers
heritage because rural people did not of plastic with shiny new labels. Many
know what to do to stop the ongoing consumers get trapped by that, also
closure of food processing facilities because it is cheaper.
and local markets. “North Macedonian But for me that may be legal food,
food hygiene regulations were applied but it has no taste. The quality is worlds
as if EU law was already in force here,” apart from the cheese of our small
Pece tells us. “Local farmers and sheep local producers.”
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