The “Bergers du Larzac” cooperative project was launched in 1996:

11 farmers, including founder and president André Parenti, were able to add value to their ewes' milk. According to sales manager Patrick Garcia, “the initial aim was to add value to sheep's milk and set up young farmers.

Their families could then live on their own resources without having to rely on the industry and the production quota system”.

Respecting tradition

Right from the start, the cooperative bought the Roquefort Coulet premises in La Cavalerie and hired a cheese technician. The first cheese was produced on April 8, 1996, with ewe's milk tomme.

“The cooperative's ambition was to promote local, genuine products that respected tradition,” says Patrick Garcia. Today, this structure supports 17 families:

the 6 cooperative suppliers and the 11 cooperative employees. However, selling cheese is not something you can improvise. At the outset, the cooperative did not sufficiently define its commercial policy.

In addition to local sales, it markets through sales agents to supermarkets and hypermarkets, as well as to a few wholesalers at Rungis, but generally achieves only small margins.