Panorama of cheese production in La Gomera Island (Canary Islands, Spain)

The economy of La Gomera used to depend on the agricultural sector but today tourism is equally or more important. At the moment, cheese contributes the most to the livestock economy. In this paper the results of a survey of 49 producers (90% of total producers) that includes farming aspects, cheese technology, marketing and the impact of EU regulations are presented. These cheeses are handmade in a very traditional manner. Almost all the cheeses are made from raw goat's milk, 63 % of farmers use natural rennet to coagulate the milk and 80 % of them use hand presses. All the cheeses are smoked and most of the product is sold on the Island.