The fight against rural depopulation in Croatia, Portugal and Spain has found in artisanal cheese production a way to revitalise local economies, preserve traditions and create new opportunities for communities. In all three countries, cheese-making is deeply rooted in rural culture and history and has become a driver of sustainable development, helping to stem the flow of young people to the cities. In Croatia, for example, the production of artisanal cheeses such as Paški sir, made from sheep's milk on the island of Pag, is an example of how cheese-making tradition can be a driver of rural development. The demand for this cheese, both nationally and internationally, has created jobs on the island and motivated young people to stay and work in the dairy industry. This has revitalised the region's economy while preserving its pastoral culture.

Michelle Buster, founder of Forever Cheese, the largest cheese importer in the United States, will talk about this fight against depopulation in a round table with a strong international character. Carmela Cano González (Galmesán Cheese, Teiraboa, Arzúa, A Coruña), Martina Pernar, Marketing Director of Paska Sirana and President of the Paski Sir Producers' Association (Croatia), and Natasha Cabral, Quality and Food Safety Manager of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of San Jorge in the Azores (Portugal).

As part of this year's tour, Feminas will also be holding a tasting of preserves in Puerto de Vega. María Busta, from the Casa Eutimio cannery in Lastres, Ángela Donato, from the El Viejo Pescador cannery in Tapia de Casariego, and Ana Labad Cruz, from the Hazas cannery in Lastres, will be the protagonists. The processing industry is another world in which women have played a leading role. Over the centuries, women, often invisible to the eyes of the world, have been the guardians of an art that preserves not only food but also the cultural identity of their communities. In many canneries, they play a crucial role in production, demonstrating admirable dedication and skill, becoming the hands that bring each can to life. In recent decades, more and more women have also taken their destiny into their own hands and ventured into the world of entrepreneurship.

Women stockbreeders

The role of women in livestock production has been central throughout history, although it has often gone unnoticed or been underestimated. Traditionally, in many rural societies, women have played an essential role in the management and care of livestock, as well as in activities related to milk production, animal feeding and the management of family resources. Today, the role of women in livestock production remains crucial, not only in terms of production and sustainability, but also as agents of change in the modernisation of the sector. The production of milk and its transformation into products such as cheese and yoghurt has historically been largely managed by women, who have also played an important role in selling these products on local markets. Marta Pérez, of the Casa Flora livestock farm (Ottur); Mari Cruz Fernández, of the San Martín livestock farm and president of the Campoastur cooperative (Valdés); and Tatiana Álvarez Capita, founder of Ca Mamina, a family business that breeds indigenous Asturian breeds.