**5. Valorisation of milk from goats in Lebanon**

#### **5.1. Prospects for protection of dairy products**

Artisanal cheeses refer to cheeses prepared by hand using the unique craftsmanship of the cheese maker. They are usually prepared within family of traditional goat farming in Lebanon, which is an ancestral heritage that could disappear by the overflowing of new technologies, and its protection is necessary for the preservation of patrimonial traditions that support Lebanese regions. These products with all particular practices and customs of production appear as a property bequeathed to the Lebanese community, a legacy. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the craft products, built on their cultural property and to give them a symbolic dimension and a specific attention.

#### **5.2. Attempts of safeguarding artisanal products**

The technology and composition of most goat cheeses, especially the traditional ones, are not well-documented [29]. The production of traditional goat cheeses is usually carried out on individual farms by shepherds themselves and their families. Most of these cheeses are produced traditionally and manufacturing methods are passed from generation to generation without a technology and regulations standards or pasteurization [30]. Cheeses made under these conditions do not have the minimum hygiene and sanitary guarantees necessary to obtain constant product quality.

The real value of goat cheese is through industrialization under technical and scientific conditions capable of providing products with the indispensable guarantees of quality and constancy [29].

According to the René Moawad Foundation (RMF), Darfiyeh cheese became the first Lebanese artisan produce in the Middle East to receive the 'Presidium' quality level attributed by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity (SFFD), an international movement founded in 1996 to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food.

The RMF had set a program to support the development of small farmers by providing technical assistance for local milk producers so they can improve the quality of Darfiyeh as well as the production conditions, related mainly to hygiene.

#### **5.3. Protected designation of origin (PDO)**

In the European Union (EU), protected geographical indication (PGI), protected designation of origin (PDO) and traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG) seals are used to encourage and protect the reputation for quality of agricultural products and food.

According to the Agriculture and Rural Development, European commission, the following EU schemes encourage diverse agricultural production, protect product names from misuse and imitation and help consumers by giving them information concerning the specific character of the products:

'PDO covers agricultural products and foodstuffs that are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how'.

'PGI covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the area'.

'TSG highlights traditional character, either in the composition or means of production'.

In 2008, a Swiss-Lebanese Project on geographical indication took place. It has a duration of 3 years. The project aimed at defining an adequate system for the protection of geographical indication in Lebanon, through (1) identifying the products originating from a territory or a region, (2) supporting technically the producers in drafting the legal documents for the registration of geographic indications at the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade and (3) providing the necessary information and working with the supply chain actors on agricultural, organizational and economical aspects of geographical indications.

The Lebanese terroir is very rich in traditional food products. According to a UNDP study, 30% of Lebanese can be categorized as poor. About 10% of the people are rural. Agriculture's share of the gross national product is 6–8% and declining. This decline is negatively affecting the rural poor who still rely on farming for their livelihoods. Subsequently, supporting the implementation of geographical indications, may contribute to enhance the breakdown of traditional food production systems and to reduce the loss of precious indigenous knowledge and the degradation of agro-biodiversity.
