New Free-Trade Agreement (CETA): How it Will Change Cheese Industry In Canada

Started by Spoons, November 02, 2013, 06:11:45 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Spoons

The Canadian Government and the European Union have tabled and agreed upon a free-trade agreement recently. Interestingly, there will be changes in the cheese industry in Canada. IMO, this will promote European cheeses in Canada, which is good for Canadian consummers, but will not give any benefits to Canadian cheese makers. Here's an excerpt from a Law Blog (Not Bob Loblaw's Law Blog btw...) :

Quote
First, while the emphasis on cheese and the dairy industry has focused on increasing the amount of European cheese that can be sold in Canada, the agreement also contains some notable new restrictions on the sale and marketing of cheese in Canada more generally.  Under the umbrella of geographic indications protections, Canada has agreed to new limitations on several well known cheeses including asiago, feta, fontina, gorgonzola, and munster. Existing Canadian producers can continue to use these names, but that's it - any future cheese makers will need to qualify the title by using words such as "imitation" or "style". This is a significant concession that effectively gives rights to existing producers on what many consumers would view as generic names.
Source: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6985/125/#comments

I guess we'll probably see more European cheeses at the supermarket (and possibly cheaper due to increased importation), and I'm fine with that, but future Canadian Cheese Makers will need to come up with some original cheese names or use the "... Style" suffix with their cheese. This kind of cheapens ones reputation IMO. You see such a label and it doesn't sound as good as the "authentic" stuff, makes it sound like a cheap knockoff.

I know it's nothing new. We see this everywhere (Saint-Paulin vs Port Salut; Cognac vs Brandy; Champagne vs Sparkling wine), but we'll just get to see it more and more in Canada.

jwalker

Yep , it may be good for consumers of some fine European cheeses , as prices will hopefully come down some.

But on the whole , it's a bad deal for Canadian cheese producers , artisan and commercial alike , I don't see why we aren't encouraging more small cheesemakers in this country.

And it's very good for pork and beef producers.

Basically , Harper is forfeiting cheese tariffs so the E.U. will allow us to export more meat into their country ,  the sad thing is , on the cheese front , the E.U. already exports about 1000 times as much cheese to Canada as Canada sends to the E.U.

On top of that , our laws governing artisan cheese makers are much more rigorous here in Canada , making it even harder to compete in an already unfair trade situation.

As for labeling laws , only the town of Gouda and surrounding area can legally call their cheese "Gouda" , still , I don't see the need to call a copy of it "Gouda-style" , how about something like "Canadian Gouda" , that would remove any doubt as to where it was made , and would also convey the style of cheese.

I guess the lawyers will figure that one out.

I guess we'll see what happens , but it will hurt Canadian cheese at least temporarily , if and when it goes into effect.

bill shaver

not to mention to the dairy farmers across canada, whats to happen to them, they are heavily motaged on their quota....a real milstone around ther & politicians necks, so heavy it'd colapse any bridge leading in & out of quebec, and this holds tre for anyone on fed level , to get support from quebec in any fed  election, ONE NEEDS A GOOD BRIDGE TO & FROM QUEBEC...a little humore in these dark days....

Al Lewis

The first thing you'll learn with these arrangements with the EU is that they will get everything and you will lose way too much.  Ask anyone in England how they got screwed.  BTW If France is involved they will expect you to stick to the letter of the agreement and they will never enforce their half.
Making the World a Safer Place, One Cheese at a Time! My Food Blog and Videos

awakephd

Quote from: jwalker on November 03, 2013, 02:24:30 PM
I don't see the need to call a copy of it "Gouda-style" , how about something like "Canadian Gouda"

How about "Couda" :)
-- Andy

Kern

The worst part of the law in my opinion is that existing Canadian cheesemakers will be allowed to use the European provincial names that they are currently using but the new guys competing with them will not.  So, you have a situation where one cheesemaker can call his product "feta", "Gorgonzola, etc." and the post-enactment cheesemaker has to say "imitation feta, imitation Gorgonzola, etc."  This implies that one of the cheesemakers is faking it and will have the effect of snuffing out competition.  So, naturally, all the companies currently in the cheese business support the law as proposed.

We are fortunate in the US that the government is prohibited from doing something like this - not that it hasn't tried.   

bill shaver

just wonder  how it'll turn out, they all have to stick to the agreement otherwise it'll fall apart quickly.

bill shaver

Either way...new cheese varity's bekon, new names  will appear, just has to happen.necessity  is the mother of inventions, produce the same type with sligh;ly different name...nothing new.

bill shaver

The trade agreement, when fully implemented should this be the end of supply management vai single desk purchaser for dairy & egg farmers, or will it survive, The marketing boards have been flexible in past few years, but as of late to me are still behind the curve, cant see much more public support for it, and the political voice they all hold wonder if they will be thrown under the bus, as you know in canada at federal level, one wins elections by havinga  good bridge to quebec, without it, it could raise the ugly spectre of nasionilistic fervor again, it never ends.