The Tête de Moine activity generates 370 jobs in the region of origin, this is considered as an employer of middle to big importance. The activity has a revenue of more than CHF 70 mio. with 50 % being made in the region of origin.
Since the end of 90's, the production is almost doubled, due to the evolution of the exportation. More than one in two Tête de Moine is exported today. The intention is to maintain an extremely raised quality standard, in the respect of the traditions and to keep an added value, in interest of all actors of the Tête de Moine activity.
The Tête de Moine activity today :
- 245 dairy farms (01.01.2023)
- 8 cheese dairies (7 village dairies, 1 farm producer) and the Maison de la Tête de Moine - wood fire production
- 2 affineurs
Behind the Tête de Moine AOP stand several organisations with 3 different tasks :
Tête de Moine AOP trade association
On 18 September 1997 Tête de Moine AOP trade association was founded in Bellelay as an umbrella trade organisation dedicated to achieve the registration of Tête de Moine AOP as a protected designation of origin. Our trade organisation comprises milk producers, cheese-makers and ripening experts.
The purpose of the association is set down in its articles as follows:
- to register and maintain the protected designation of origin Tête de Moine AOP
- to establish favourable prerequisites for optimum product marketing, in particular:
- promote coordinated marketing efforts at home and abroad using a uniform communication strategy while taking any existing infrastructure into account
- support activities that help maintain and improve product quality within the AOP specifications
- control supply and price within the conditions set down by the new milk market ordinance
- define a common brand policy
- struggle against imitations
- to represent Tête de Moine AOP towards the authorities and the public
- to engage in any other activities helping to promote Tête de Moine AOP.
Association of Tête de Moine cheesemakers (AFT)
The Association of Tête de Moine (Bellelay cheese) cheesemakers AFT was founded in March 1978 with the purpose of promoting the production of Tête de Moine AOP in the region of origin, improving the product quality, spreading the knowledge of this cheese speciality at home and abroad and taking care of the protection of the designation of origin Tête de Moine, Bellelay cheese AOP. The association further aims to create and protect a common brand and to lobby for the Tête de Moine AOP producers in the dairy business in general.
Association of Tête de Moine milk producers (APLT)
In May 2002 the milk producers supplying the Tête de Moine AOP producers founded the Association of Tête de Moine milk producers (APLT) Together with the Association of Tête de Moine (Bellelay cheese) producers AFT set up in 1978 and trade association in 1997 this is an important stage in the organisation of the whole trade.
The association is meant to represent the milk producers' interest within the trade association, prepare negotiations with the other partners of the Tête de Moine AOP concerning price and amount adaptations and help support the activities of the trade association. Together with the trade association the association focuses its efforts on providing information about the milk producers of the trade.
AOP
Tête de Moine AOP is a protected designation of origin (AOP = Appellation d'origine protégée) from the Swiss Jura. The AOP label guarantees that Tête de Moine AOP is the genuine cheese produced in the designated mountainous areas of the Jura according to a traditional method and submitted to stringent quality controls.
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