Azorean lawmakers call for international promotion of São Jorge Cheese and stronger support for small farmers, seeking to preserve agricultural traditions while creating new economic opportunities.
Across the green pastures of São Jorge, where generations of farmers have transformed the richness of the land into one of the Azores’ most distinctive products, cheese is more than an agricultural commodity. It is a living expression of the island’s identity, its traditions, and the perseverance of its people.
The Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA) has submitted a recommendation to the Regional Government calling for greater international promotion of São Jorge Cheese (PDO), alongside urgent measures to ensure fairer agricultural assistance for the island’s livestock producers.
The proposal calls for a coordinated international marketing strategy to strengthen the cheese’s reputation, reach new consumers, and diversify markets.
Lawmakers recommend working with business associations and agricultural organizations to promote the product through international trade fairs, gastronomic tourism, advertising campaigns, and initiatives emphasizing its distinctive heritage and quality.
The Assembly also proposes cooperating with UNIQUEIJO, universities, and research institutions to conduct market studies, analyze consumer trends, and identify opportunities to develop the São Jorge cheese industry.
A second major component concerns allocating individual suckler-cow premium entitlements that support beef cattle production. Parliamentarians are requesting their urgent and equitable distribution, particularly among smaller agricultural operations and farmers facing economic, geographical, or personal difficulties.
Special consideration would be given to elderly producers, farmers experiencing health problems, and holdings located in isolated or disadvantaged areas, where limited infrastructure and distance from cooperatives can create additional challenges.
The recommendation also calls for differentiated assistance to smaller farms, transparent allocation criteria, and access to entitlements for producers without direct cooperative affiliations.
Lawmakers particularly emphasize the need to include eligible beef producers who have never received these entitlements, describing their exclusion as a historical injustice that should be corrected.
The proposed measures aim to protect agricultural livelihoods, encourage families to remain in rural communities, and strengthen the long-term sustainability of São Jorge’s dairy and beef industries.
For Azorean communities in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, the international promotion of São Jorge Cheese offers another opportunity to connect the islands with the wider world. It could introduce new audiences to a product deeply associated with Azorean heritage while reinforcing cultural and commercial ties with the diaspora.
The recommendations remain proposals for the Regional Government to consider, rather than measures already implemented.
Ultimately, the initiative recognizes that the international success of São Jorge Cheese must remain connected to the people who produce it. Expanding markets and preserving rural livelihoods are complementary ambitions, both essential to the island’s future.
And perhaps that is the enduring significance of São Jorge’s celebrated cheese: within its distinctive flavor lives the history of an island, the labor of its families, and the possibility of carrying a centuries-old tradition into new generations and across distant oceans.
Based on a story in Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director- the photo is also from CA.