The Region rejects the new specification for Pecorino Romano Dop, approved last December amid controversy. And there is a clash with the Protection Consortium.
The Council has expressed "a contrary direction", as can be read in a note from Viale Trento. The decision "comes because of the failure to include the list of traditional native sheep breeds permitted for the production of milk intended for transformation into Pecorino Romano Dop". An omission that, according to the executive, "is not in line with regional policies for the sector and for the protection of traditional breeding systems, the environmental sustainability of livestock systems and the conservation of biodiversity".
A position that seems to be a response to the appeal launched by the shepherds without flags who, immediately after the approval of the changes to the specifications, had asked for the intervention of the president Alessandra Todde who, they said, «has the power of veto on what the president of the consortium is illegitimately carrying forward: the future of the most strategic sector of the regional economy is at stake».
But what is the problem? A clarification is necessary: it is called "Roman" but it is almost entirely Sardinian. And it is the pecorino that is exported all over the world, the one that largely determines the price of milk on the Island. It is a Dop product (Protected Designation of Origin) and its production must take place in compliance with certain requirements: those set out in the specifications. On which a vote had already been taken a few years ago, when the requirement that the sheep to be milked belong to certain "native" breeds was imposed.
With the new vote of December 2nd, in Macomer, the “breed” had been left out and to produce pecorino romano it was sufficient that the sheep were raised in certain “areas”. Sardinia is included, obviously. The concern of the shepherds who signed the document is one: someone (many?) could “import” sheep from other territories, make them live in Sardinia, raise them intensively to increase milk production – taking advantage of the fact that the price is now high – and what would be lost, is the fear, would be the characteristics of the product. In addition to the added value, with a consequent collapse in price due to the increase in production.
The shepherds (Gianuario Falchi, Nenneddu Sanna, Mario Carai and Fabio Pisu) had warned that «revoting on the point regarding the use of milk to produce Pecorino Romano Dop cheese from sheep belonging to the native breeds of the production areas (Sardinia, Lazio and the province of Grossetto) would have been against the rules, as that point had already been voted on and approved in a previous assembly of the consortium with a majority of 90% and had been endorsed by the then Agriculture Councillor first and then by the ministry». From Rome they had «even suggested a 7-year delay, following the advice of Agris technicians, to give time to companies that currently breed exogenous breeds or their crosses, in case they wanted to continue to be part of the Dop, before the restrictions were put in place».
The Consortium had decided to go ahead: now that the Region's rejection has arrived, it is not accepting it and is responding with a very harsh note from President Gianni Maoddi, who says he is "surprised" by the decision.
"It would have been enough to read the current production specification and the proposed amendment to easily realise that in the part relating to breeds everything has remained unchanged . The native breeds in the specification are in fact already included since only the milk of sheep raised in the production areas can be used for our PDO. Secondly, in recent months Councillor Satta has never sought a discussion with the Consortium, at least not with the Consortium as a whole: we believe that it would have been very useful before expressing such an opinion, which I remind you is only an opinion and is not binding".
Maoddi recalls that the changes must be approved by two thirds of the assembly and that last December « 70% of the members' assembly voted to leave the specification unchanged in the part relating to breeds , which can be modified at any time, but always with the green light of two thirds of the assembly». In short, concludes Maoddi, the Region expressed its opinion «on the changes that the minority of the assembly would have wanted», but which were not made .
The rejection of the specification is instead welcomed by Agrinsieme Sardegna: «We can only comment positively on the resolution approved today by the Regional Council: the update does not include the recognition of native sheep breeds in the production of this excellent cheese», explains the coordinator, Daniele Caddeo, who continues: « The opinion expressed by the executive goes hand in hand with the battle carried out by Agrinsieme Sardegna in recent months, at regional and national level also with discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, for the valorization of local breeds and their strong roots in the territories where thousands of breeders operate. The message received today from Cagliari represents a strong and clear political choice that all stakeholders involved in the sector will have to take into account».
