Abstract
Even as the concept of terroir becomes more salient in diverse cultural and national contexts, climate-driven environmental change threatens to alter the ecologies that contribute to the distinctive terroir of place-based products. Yet few studies examine how producers of terroir products perceive and experience environmental change. Our comparative case study addresses this gap, as we examine ways that changing ecological conditions will influence the emergent terroir of Wisconsin artisanal cheese and New England oysters. Drawing on in-depth interviews and a survey, we describe the environmental and sociocultural elements that Wisconsin artisanal cheesemakers and New England oyster farmers identify as characteristic of the terroir and merroir (terroir’s maritime adaptation) of their products. We then compare cheesemakers’ and oyster farmers’ perceptions and experiences of climate change. We find that both groups perceive climate-related threats to the terroir and merroir of their products, though each group experienced these threats differently. We argue that the ongoing constitution of terroir—which has always reflected a tension between nature and culture—will be further complicated by changing ecologies. We suggest that a generative understanding of terroir that emphasizes terroir’s sociocultural dimensions may help artisanal cheesemakers and oyster farmers mitigate some climate-related threats to their products.
Highlights
Terroir—the way soil, climate, topography, and cultural practices influence the distinctive tastes of agricultural products—has long been associated with its French viticultural origins
We first describe ways in which Wisconsin artisanal cheese producers and New England oyster farmers are identifying specific environmental and sociocultural and factors that they link to the emergent terroir or merroir of their cheese or oysters
We detail our findings concerning producer perceptions and experiences of climate-driven environmental change and the potential impacts this change has on the emergent terroir of Wisconsin artisanal cheese and the merroir of New England oysters [70]
Summary
Terroir—the way soil, climate, topography, and cultural practices influence the distinctive tastes of agricultural products—has long been associated with its French viticultural origins. In the US, terroir translations are not widely embedded within national or state rural development policy initiatives, and with only rare exceptions are designated GIs (e.g., Vidalia onions, Florida oranges, Idaho potatoes), emergent efforts to “test-drive” and “reverse engineer terroir” [3] emphasize anchoring foods and drinks to particular places and practices [4,5], in an effort to develop new markets for quality foods. This can reflect American attempts to “emplac[e] our food systems” [6] Due to their potential to foster rural development, preserve food practices, and conserve environmental resources, terroir products have been promoted as a promising counter to conventional agriculture [12,13,14,15,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
