Meeting brings together producers and experts around the challenges of taking cheese to new markets
The International Forum of ExpoQueijo Brasil 2026 began this Friday (26th), at the Ouro Preto Hall of the Grande Hotel e Termas de Araxá, bringing together experts, researchers, rural producers, technicians, and institutions linked to the artisanal cheese production chain. The program is part of the event’s official agenda and continues until this Saturday (27th), with free activities.
The forum addresses strategic topics for the sector, such as the international market, health legislation, cooperativism, family succession, sustainability, and scientific advances applied to artisanal production.
According to the analyst of the Agribusiness Unit of Sebrae Minas, Ricardo Augusto Boscaro de Castro, the space contributes to bringing together producers, researchers, and professionals in the sector. “Sebrae has supported ExpoQueijo since the first edition. We strongly believe in the importance of this event for the development of the artisanal cheese chain. In addition to the international competition and the business fair, the forum allows us to discuss important technical topics, connect producers, researchers, and professionals in the sector, and transform knowledge into results in the field,” he highlights.
Among the topics discussed on the first day was the insertion of artisanal cheese from Minas Gerais into the international market, with a focus on exports to the European Union. Researcher Tiago Tartaglia Vital, master in Law and PhD candidate at UFMG, presented studies on legislation, sustainability, and criteria required for access to the European market. “There is a legal synergy between Minas Gerais legislation, federal legislation, the Mercosur-European Union agreement, and the European Union’s requirements. The positive point is that there is not necessarily a need to adapt the law to meet these requirements. The challenge lies in bureaucracy and the effectiveness of criteria such as land regularity, sustainability, and certifications,” he explains.
For Tiago, bringing this debate inside ExpoQueijo facilitates producers’ access to information that directly impacts the future of artisanal activity. “The initiative is very important for the reach it achieves among producers. Often, there is a distance between legislation and those in the field. Bringing this discussion to the forum allows us to present, more clearly, the real scenario, the necessary precautions, and the paths for the production chain to advance,” he concludes.